


Hellspawn

by Sandsstill



Category: Zootopia (2016)
Genre: Multi, introductions
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-09-04
Updated: 2020-09-04
Packaged: 2021-03-07 00:28:48
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 33
Words: 219,734
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26268016
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Sandsstill/pseuds/Sandsstill
Summary: When love is the object that haunts you and drives you into hiding to save those you care for, it is more than a curse that you are running from. The kind of curse that will seal fates, open the doors to heaven and hell, and reveal that everything is not as simple as it appears to be. In a world where a cute little bunny, isn't just a bunny and a fox is the only one who might be able to redefine what the Gods have decreed.....
Relationships: Jack Savage/Skye, Judy Hopps/Nick Wilde
Comments: 24
Kudos: 36





	1. Fox A Folly

I wish I could shout out to the one who inspired something specific in this story, sadly I cannot remember who originally came up with the idea. The story is roughly based off that idea and an old movie I liked when I was younger. They have a common idea and few scenes in common, but not much else. There are a total of thirty four chapters. Almost everything I write I use music for as inspiration. The last eight chapters need to be edited and revised before they are posted. As for the content, it will jump back and forth because nothing can be happy all the time or it is boring, to me anyway. It is for adults, and a rare thing for me to post as I have kept these kinds of stories more to myself for a few personal reasons. I have a problem that I had hoped would work itself out, (sadly) it has remained in the dark and I feel posting one of my stories may be the only way to resolve the issue so I can move on. I work at least forty hours a week and am not going to be available often, and have found writing to be the only kind of therapy I can rely on on the nights I am awake because of my schedule while everyone is sleeping or i am struggling to stay awake because I am waiting for a call. Shrug, human and all that jazz, if it makes me something other than what I see myself as in someone else's eyes, I can live with that....

Introductions

Shawn Mendes; Stitches*

A crowded atmosphere was the last thing you’d ever find in the low-lit room as a red panda rushed around the tables and sat a tray heavy with different sized glasses on the table. Several officers who had just left their shift waved as they walked into the small bar and took seats at another table. Officer Wolford was one of the frequenters who was often telling stories and the female waiting on the table leaned back as his arms spread wide, sending the little group into another bout of laughter as he leaned forward and shook his head. “Oops, sorry Ginger.” The red furred female swished her tail as she leaned back over and removed the drinks from the tray before sliding them across the table and leaving after she refilled the bowl of pretzels on the table.

“So, why does he call you Fort again?” Wolford smirked as Nick rolled his eyes and leaned back in his chair. The young officer asking was a cheetah who was still wet behind the ears and ticked his eyes between the two canines as the fox shrugged.

Wolford chuckled as he grabbed the tall glass in front of him and pulled the foam from the top of it into his mouth as he glanced back at his partner. He sat it back down as all the ears at the table perked. “Oh, it’s a thing here, to try and figure out why he gives someone a certain name, but with me it was pretty obvious. I’m the one who recruited him into the police academy, Gerald.”

The cheetah leaned forward looking between them as all the other officers at the table chuckled. “He’s the first fox though, right? The smallest officer?”

“Yeah.” Wolford nodded before gulping half the glass in front of him and sitting it back on the table. It was fairly common knowledge that most of the predator officers on the force were canine or feline, with the larger of the herbivores like rhinos and hippos being the second most common. There were sheep here and there, but the fact that both canine and feline were well known for their ability to detect certain scents and changes in other mammal’s behaviors made them optimal for the positions in law enforcement. Although elephants had also began to join in the last couple of decades for the same reasons.

“So, how did you get into the academy, Nick?” Gerald asked and looked around as the other officers snickered.

The fox grumbled as he picked up his own glass and sighed. “Why do you have to tell that story to every rookie who comes through precinct one, Fort?”

“It’s part of your lore!” The wolf barked, sending all the officers around them laughing as Nick shook his head.

“I think you just like trying to embarrass me.” Nick smirked as he sat his glass down.

“Yeah, I’d say that was true if it weren’t for the fact that no one can.”

Nick shrugged as he leaned over the table. “Well, my mother told me once that I had no pride.”

“Yeah well she left out the part that said you have no shame either.” Wolford gave him a sneaky smile as Nick shrugged. “Unless it comes to the girls you keep dragging home.” Nick groaned as he shook his head. Gerald leaned forward perking both brows as he ticked his eyes between them again.

“Anyway, we got called to this brawl over in the rainforest district. A big bar fight and no one had any idea how it all got started. There were a dozen officers there, more than twenty big guys – I mean the kind of guys not even cops mess with without back up. We get there and everyone is in a knock down drag out fight and I spot this kit- crawling on the floor trying to sneak out between all these guys who are ten times bigger than he is. It only takes me two seconds after I get him off the floor to realize the whole thing was started because he had them all pointing fingers at each other, trying to shift the focus off the one thing no one else had noticed.”

Nick rolled his eyes to the ceiling and cleared his throat. “I beg your pardon; I never started that fight and I had nothing to do with them trying to kill each other.”

“Ah hu.” Wolford mocked as the fox snickered. Gerald looked around watching all the officers scoffing and chuckling as Wolford flicked his ear.

“Hey!” Nick scolded as he flipped his ears back.

“Yeah, hey. I drag him out into the center of everything while we we’re trying to establish who was getting charged with what and this huge polar bear, one of Big’s guys, points at him and starts screaming. No sooner had this guy opened his mouth, all the officers were scrambling trying to get everyone calm again. Since I was the senior officer on scene, I decided instead of just throwing everyone in jail and calling it a day, to watch this story unfold. Turns out this little fox had traded something and got a whole line of these guys trying to kill each other because they all thought someone else owed for something in the chain.” The cheetah shook his head with a curious expression as Wolford watched the fox sniff a few times and scratch his nose.

“See, that right there. Was what started it.” Wolford chuckled. “You may not be as familiar with it because you’re new at this Gerald, but getting mammals like that all turned around when it’s their line of business to know how to deal with the same people who run in those circles is one hell of an achievement. So, I toss this little fox out in the open and watch him get them all screaming at each other again and see what the problem is. He gets shoved back into my chest by this bear and falls to the floor. This bear and all the others see its him that got all this started and start pointing their attention at him instead of each other. He rolls over and jumps off the floor, looks up at me and says damn- you’re built like a brick shit hou- I give him one look and fold my arms over my chest and he clamps a paw over his muzzle and drops his head and ears. A fort! I mean you’re built like a fort! He screams as I narrow my eyes on him.”

Gerald looked around as all the officers laughed and watched the fox shrug again and Wolford continued the story. “Well apparently, these hardened criminals in this bar, who wanted to kill him a few seconds ago find this little fox horribly amusing for some reason, when this polar bear loses his mind laughing about it. I guess all these guys know who he is and start talking about how he wasn’t even afraid of Mr. Big. They go on to tell me how he has talked himself out of so many situations that no one has ever gotten to him, and watching him do something like shrinking from a cop when they’ve seen him walk away from just as many of them is just the most hilarious thing they’ve ever seen.”

“Yeah it was absolutely hilarious.” Nick grumbled as he picked up his beer, narrowing his eyes and grinning at all his fellow officers as they snickered.

“You know what was even funnier than that?” Wolford asked as Nick rolled his eyes and sniffed again. “It was even funnier when I nodded as I look at this kit and get his I.D. Turns out he’s got a record rife with all kinds of juvenile things that no one could make stick and has just turned eighteen. So, when I tell him I think I have a solution to get him out of the mess he’s in and all he has to do is join the police academy, imagine my surprise when he’s mortified by the fact that all the guys in that bar start clapping and saying it’s the best idea they’ve ever heard. The owner of the bar agrees not to press charges for the damages in the fight he started, and all the guys in there agree not to come looking for him about anything that happened- if he joins the police academy and graduates.”

Nick sucked on his teeth and nodded. “Eh, I never liked those guys anyway, but I miss the money I was making compared to what I’m making now.”

Gerald looked around and shook his head as the officers around the table chuckled again and Wolford nodded. “Apparently they felt the same way because they thought if he was wearing a uniform, at least they’d see him coming and he’d be a different kind of problem they’d know how to deal with. You can’t make money if you’re dead, which is where you’d have found yourself if you’d stayed on that road Nick.”

“Yeah and I’m your problem now.” Nick snarked as Wolford made a sour face.

“Damn if I’d only known what I was getting myself into that day.” The wolf shot, sending them all laughing again as Nick nodded and winked at him. “Chief Bogo decided since it was my brilliant idea to get him into the academy that I got him as a rookie, and I’ve been stuck with him ever since.”

“He’s my work wife.”

“What’s a work wife?” Gerald asked as they all shook their heads. Nick pointed to Wolford and snickered as they all laughed.

“He is. You know you love me, Fort.”

Wolford sneered as Nick chuckled. “I know I’d love to throttle you most days.” He growled playfully as Nick shrugged. “Since you’re asking why I keep telling them this story, why not answer why you think I’m the wife and not the husband?”

“You are definitely the wife!” All the others shouted and Nick fell back in his chair laughing.

Wolford scowled as he looked around the table. “I’d love to find him a decent girl that could straighten the rest of him out. Then I wouldn’t be considered his work wife and someone else could take care of him all the time.”

“Ugh…” Nick grumbled as he looked into his empty glass. “I think I can manage that on my own.”

When all the officers groaned Gerald looked around and back to Wolford and Nick as the fox sighed. “Yeah, for as good as he is at dealing with criminal suspects and getting people to talk, the one flaw he has is his taste in females. He knows everyone, but still can’t seem to find a decent girl.”

When the cheetah lifted his ears, Nick shook his head as he raised a paw to grab the waitress’ attention. “I am not dating someone from here because I do know everyone and that would just cause me more problems. There is nothing wrong with my taste in females.”

“Except that you have no taste in females.” Nick looked at him scowling as Wolford frowned and shook his head. “The only taste you have in that area is bad taste and I swear for someone who is so good at reading people your biggest flaw is that you’re a sucker for a damsel in distress.” As Nick turned to grab her attention again Wolford held up a finger and scrunched his nose in a watch this motion. Gerald looked around and caught the other officers nod as the fox turned back to the table. The wolf glanced at Ginger who smirked as she shook her head and walked back to them.

Half a second later the fox’s eyes had gone to the size of sewer covers as she landed in his lap. His ears pinned back and turned a bright red before he looked at the wolf and rolled his eyes as she wrapped her arms around his neck. “Ginger has been asking him out for months.” Wolford smiled as Nick huffed and tried to shove her off his lap.

“I’m sure Ginger could do better than a fox with a bad track record in that department.”  
She looked up at him smiling as he shied his eyes from her. “I would love to date a cop, but he seems to not be horribly interested in me.”

“If you want a cop Ginger, there are almost half a dozen at this table alone. I’m sure you could add some spice to one of their lives and they wouldn’t object.” Nick mumbled as he tried to shoo her out of his lap again. “If you don’t get off my lap, I’m going to charge you with harassment. No offence but I have no intentions of getting involved with anyone again anytime soon, no matter how attractive they are.” His ears pinned to his head and he could feel the heat rising through his neck as she bit her lip in a coy fashion that had him instantly sweating at his own words. “Please don’t comment on the words I just said without thinking Darlin.”

She giggled as she stood up and looked around the table as the officers all bit their tongues and covered their mouths. “Their fur isn’t the right color, but as far as a department goes, well, I’m sure I could help you improve any part of your life that needs some help. This time, I’ll leave it be because of the new guy. I’ll bring you another round.”

“Oh, thank gods.” Nick muttered as she walked away, swishing her tail and looking back at the table as they all snickered.

Gerald shook his head as he watched her leaving and blinked as he turned back to the fox who was nervously straightening his shirt. “Why not go out with her? She’s gorgeous!”

Wolford scoffed as he lifted his glass again. “Because she’s gorgeous, because she has a job, because she’s not psychotic.”

“And that’s my cue.” Nick grumbled as he picked up the keys and stood from the table.

“Come on, Nick.”

The fox shook his head as he pulled his coat from the back of the chair. “No, when the life of the party becomes the butt of the joke, it’s time to throw in the towel because the party’s over.”

“I didn’t mean it like that. I meant….”

“I’ll see you tomorrow, Fort.”

The wolf sighed and nodded as they watched him leaving and turned back to the table as Ginger sat down another tray. “Did I scare him off again?”

“No, I think it had more to do with the fact that I shouldn’t have brought up the whole relationship, if you could call it that.”

She cringed as she stuck a paw on his shoulder and looked back to the closing door. “Poor guy. Ending up with such a nasty girl like that.”

Gerald looked between all of them as they all seemed to look in different directions. “Not saying anything about the relationship or him, but if he was running with all those guys before he was a cop how would he not-

The cheetah snapped his mouth shut as the red panda leaned over, baring her teeth at him. Everyone around the table leaned away as she let off a high-pitched whistle that had him pinning his ears back. She looked back to Wolford and watched his ears plaster to his head. “You better explain it to the newb Wolford, or I’m not going to be friendly with him the next time he comes in here.” Wolford nodded before she picked up the tray and shot the cheetah another glance of contempt before she rushed off to another table.

“Gerald, there is something you should know about Nick. He’s a favorite in damn near every circle on this side of the law and the other.” As the cheetah shook his head Wolford sighed as he picked up his new glass. “We don’t know how he does it, but he seems to stay on everyone’s good side.”

“How can he be on everyone’s good side if all those guys were ticked at him before he joined the academy?”

Wolford took a deep breath as he sat back in his chair and fiddled with the handle on the mug in front of him. “Because it was just a big misunderstanding. It all started because he was trying to help someone, and it got bigger than he thought it would. Bigger meaning that one of the objects he was trying to trade for was too large for him to move. He was trying to trade things here and there in order to get it to someone. Once it all came out and everyone understood why it started, there wasn’t anyone who didn’t understand why he did what he did or forget about the problems it caused. Including Mr. Big himself.” Wolford shook his head as he looked around the table and the cheetah watched as most of their ears fell. “Mr. Big and Nick Wilde have one thing in common that keeps pretty much everyone out of his fur.”

“What?” Gerald asked as he looked around.

Wolford looked back to the door and chuckled as he picked up his glass again. “His mother.”

“Mr. Big’s mother?”

“No, Nick’s mother. Arianna Wilde. Also known as Aria.”  
The cheetah blinked as his ears shot up. “Aria, the Aria? The vixen who mel-

“Yeah, that’s the one. Long story short, but it’s the reason Nick doesn’t see species, he doesn’t see a difference between a mouse and an elephant or a fox and a weasel. He just sees who they are. It’s also the reason he is constantly trying to help people who are in a crappy situation.” Wolford shrugged as he tipped his glass back and sat it on the table, looking back at the cat who was looking at the floor. “Loneliness can make people do some of the stupidest things, or some of the most big-hearted things. His mother found love with another species where it was impossible for them to enjoy anything except each other’s company. It’s unusual for a fox to fall in love twice, but she did. That thing he was trying to get moved was the last thing his mother tried to buy for the guy she fell in love with. A desk made of the finest mahogany money could buy, just the right size for even the largest bear in Zootopia. It had already been paid for, he was just trying to find a way to move it for her. Once Mr. Big knew what had started it all he spread the word, and now everyone knows.”

“How did foxes get involved with Mr. Big and his bears anyway?”

Wolford looked around and kept his voice low. “It had something to do with a rug. When his mother found out Nick was in trouble with the Big’s, she went to talk to them and find out what happened. It’s about all anyone knows. Nick was just a kit at the time. Bit off more than he could chew.”

“What happened with his last girlfriend?” Gerald asked as he looked between them.

The wolf sighed. “We live in the same building, same floor now. He met her right after his mother died. Put her through school, put himself in debt getting her in a better place. It cost him everything. He sold the house he grew up in to pay for her last year in school and they moved into the same building I’m in. Cheap apartments, pretty much a slumlord who runs the place but, we don’t make that much money and there aren’t a ton of places who will rent to cops, even less to foxes. They’re afraid if a cop moves in it will scare off others because someone will be watching all the time. When we got there, she was loading the television into the truck. She had stripped the whole place of everything. She said she wasn’t living with a beat cop who made less in a year than she would make in a month. She already had a lawyer she had been seeing while he was working double shifts. The guy was there quoting all the laws Nick was breaking just for telling her how he felt. All that was left in the apartment was a mattress, a skillet and a mess. It took me about an hour to convince our landlord not to call the cops- the other cops, after he lost it.”

“Harsh.” Gerald spat as he looked back and found them all nodding their agreement. “How long ago did that happen?”

“Not long enough for him to be by himself.” Wolford growled as he stood from the table and left the door swinging.

Gerald glanced around seeing everyone fall into a deep silence before it was too much to be comfortable in. “Why can’t he be alone?”

Several shifts and cringes and he looked up seeing the red panda leaning over the table as she cleared the empty glasses. “Foxes don’t do great after losing a mate. High risk for getting sick in one way or another.”

The cheetah glanced around and shook his head. “If that’s true how could she leave him and be with someone else?”

Ginger picked up the tray and looked back to the door. “Two reasons, she never loved him to begin with, and she wasn’t a fox………..”

Wolford marched up the stairs and turned the corner before he walked down the wide hallway. The last two on the end were double doors designed for a larger species, but had ended up being a reason just to charge someone more for rent. The windows in the doors had been painted over for privacy so long ago that no one even remembered they were there. The wood was marred and dry, though he was pretty sure it was still sound even if the hinges were loose. It caused them to alert everyone on the floor each time they opened. He tapped lightly and perked his ears at the silence before he heard the fox. “It’s open, Fort.” Wolford opened the door trying not to let it creak and rolled his eyes as he stepped into the room. He shook his head as Nick looked up at him after he poked his head around an odd corner that seemed to be out of place in the open space. A wall partition that someone had added at some point, to section off the kitchen area from the living room in what had once been an open floor plan. “This is why you’re the wife, I’m not dead yet.”

Wolford sighed as he stepped around the odd wall and scratched his forehead as he stuck one paw on his hip. “You had to add the word yet, didn’t you? And you wonder why I keep checking.”

Nick shrugged as he looked up from the floor where he was sitting. “It seems to be what you’re expecting. You aren’t going to get rid of me that easily. Remember? I’m your problem now.”

“Well damn the luck.” He chuckled as Nick smirked. Wolford turned back to the door and looked around as he huffed. “We really need to get you some furniture.”

Nick shrugged and leaned forward as he tried to brace the floor to stand. The wolf turned when he heard a clink and watched a piece of gold roll across the floor. His eyes shot back to the fox as Nick dropped his head. He knelt and picked up the little ring that had rolled into his toe and closed his eyes as he stood again, before looking at the little diamond and he turned his eyes watching the fox’s ears tilt back. Wolford sighed as Nick fell back against the wall again and shook his head. Nick buried his eyes under a paw and folded one knee up, leaning into his leg as he sighed. “You were going to ask her?” A low whine was all it took for the larger canine to take the few steps closer.

“I was just waiting for the right moment, you know? I thought after she graduated and got a job, I would ask her the next weekend. I guess there never was a right moment to begin with.”

Wolford held the ring out, watching as Nick took it and looked at it before it vanished behind his folded fingers. He bent his knees as he stuck a paw on his partners shoulder. “Damn Nick.”

“Yeah…….”


	2. Block Party

Oh Yeah; from Ferris Bueller’s day off*

Nick picked up the receiver as Wolford stopped at a red light. It had been a long day with the fair in town and the entire police force was running short pawed with all the tourists coming in. “Unit forty-seven responding. Go ahead Benji.”

Wolford perked his ears as Nick let off the button and listened to Clawhauser. “We have a disturbance at the farmers open market. Snarlov and Delgato can’t reach it through the crowds. You’re the closest via the alternate route.”

“Ten four Benji, E.TA. four minutes.”

Wolford looked around and pulled through the intersection and Nick leaned forward as the car pulled to the curb. “We’ll get there in half the time if we walk through the crowds, Nick.”

“Yeah, but do you really want to leave the squad car here?” Nick laughed as Wolford scoffed. “Bogo will be pissed if it gets towed. It’s a fire lane, Fort.” Nick chuckled as he got out and closed the door, shaking his head as Wolford rolled his eyes.

“You know as well as I do its probably Marty and Eileen. Fighting over the damn corner- again.”

Nick groaned as they shuffled through a herd of mammals walking the opposite direction. As they cleared the taller mammals, they both watched as a pair of older ox’s stood screaming at each other. Nick and Wolford glanced at each other and sighed as they walked towards the pair. The female had pursed lips and was screaming at the top of her lungs about not throwing something as the male ground his teeth together. “Well who else woulda thrown it!? It’s your damn grapefruit that hit me in the head! After I was nice enough to let you take my space!”

“YOUR SPACE?” She screamed as she threw her arms out. “I don’t see your name on this street corner, Marty!”

Wolford rolled his eyes as he stepped between them and looked around at all the other vendors as Nick rubbed his temples. The fox dipped his head to his partner as he looked between them. “If I had known being a cop consisted of babysitting older mammals who just need to get-

“BABYSITTING!” They both screamed as Nick looked between them and nodded. Wolford turned his head and hid his smile as they started screaming at the fox. It wasn’t an unusual tactic for Nick to use to turn their attention from each other to him, and he’d seen the fox use it to distract angry people so effectively that he leaned into one of the tables with a paw as he bit his tongue. As both oxen lost themselves in screaming at Nick, Wolford tipped a brow as he caught his partners ears flip to attention and his eyes fell not far from where his paw was on the table.

“I don’t care if you’re a cop or not you, snot nosed little-

“Hey, Marty, don’t make me haul you to the station.” Wolford warned the older male as he looked up and narrowed his eyes. 

“That goes for you too! Why, I was selling here before either one of you two were an afterthought in your parent’s sheets!”

“Speaking of sheets.” Nick grumbled as his head ticked to the side. Wolford stepped back between them and watched as Nick’s eyes shot from the table back to the vendors selling two booths down. The wolf raised both brows as a ewe started screaming at a weasel holding a tomato. He looked back and watched her wipe a blotch of bright red out of her wool before she was in his face screaming. The weasel was stunned into silence and blinking as Nick stepped from between them looking around. His cheek ticked up as he watched several of the vendors start screaming. Wolford cocked his head to the side as the fox tipped his head back to the table and walked around the back of it.

“Well I’ll be a monkey’s uncle.” Wolford mumbled as Nick’s lips curled into one side of his cheek. 

“Monkey?” Marty asked as he looked around. Food had started flying from each vendor to another as the whole block erupted into insanity. Screaming mammals tossed produce all over the place as the opposite sides ducked behind signs and tables. Wolford blinked and shook his head while Nick looked back to the table and watched a small furry paw reaching around blindly from under the sheet. A piece of celery disappeared before the large ox was grinding his teeth as the female on the other side of Wolford stomped her hoof into the ground.

“Don’t change the subject again! Monkeys- sheets? What the hell does that have to do with him accusing me of throwing fruit at his head! Look - look at this! Everybody is throwing f- Ahh!” She screamed as Wolford lurched forward trying to keep them both apart again. Marty laughed when a large piece of fruit hit her so hard it splattered all over the place sending chunks of the sectioned watermelon flying as Nick stuck his paw on the table. The wolf wiped his face off and flung the juice to the side with a paw, scowling as the fox let the smaller paw grab his finger instead of a carrot. The small mammal under the table was transfixed on watching the others scrambling all over the place and not paying attention as she pulled her arm under the sheet covering the table again. Nick leaned over grinning and stuck his head under the table just as she opened her mouth. The fox gasped and his eyes went wide as she stuck his finger in her mouth. Bright purple eyes looked up as her cheeks turned a dark crimson. Nick blinked in shock as her teeth barely grazed over the pad on his finger.

Her eyes flashed a bright red and Nick’s head slammed to the top of the table as she jumped the other way squeaking. Wolford jerked to the side and rushed out from between the two oxen as the table jolted up and slammed to the ground again. Nick fell back with his mouth hanging open as the sheet covering the table flew off, sending the fruit and vegetables that had been on it flying when she shot out from under the other side. “What the f…” Nick started as he rubbed his head. He was pretty sure the bright purple eyes he had seen under the table had caught the reflection of his fur with the light and that was what made them look like they were glowing. He brushed it off as he jumped up and looked around trying to spot her again. “STOP HER!”

The sheet that had caught on her was thrown off as she rushed between the feet of larger mammals. She vanished into a crowd too busy screaming and throwing food and blame at each other to notice someone so small scurrying around their feet. Nick jumped on one of the tables and grabbed a drainpipe, scaling it quickly as Wolford stood there looking around and shaking his head. “I haven’t seen anything like this since…” He looked up and caught Nick’s ears pinning back as he hung from the pipe with one paw narrowing his eyes in a sneaky smile. “NICK! THIS IS NOT A ---DAMN IT! DO NOT CHASE HER!” The fox had jumped down onto the shoulder of the tallest mammal there before he was gone in a blur. “WIIIILDE!!”

The bunny dove under a rhino’s legs and panted as she looked around, jumping as a small sand fox looked her over and cringed. “Wanna get outta here?” She nodded as she clutched the dark red blazer wrapped around her, pulling it closer as she peeked over a barrel. “Give me what ya got.”

She looked back at the small fox and sighed as she started pulling fruit from her sleeves and he chuckled as he stepped closer. “No, no, not that. I can get that anywhere. Ya got something else I want.” She scowled as she stepped back, and he chuckled as he leaned against the dumpster and stuck a pawpsickle in his mouth. “Nope. Ya got it on you gurl. Ya don’t even know how to control it do ya?” She dropped her head and took another step back as he moved closer. “Yep, it’s all on you. That’s what I want. Who put it on ya?”

“I-it was just an accident.”

Finnick narrowed his eyes and shook his head. “That aint never an accident. Gimmee that and I’ll help ya get out of here. I can get it off ya.”

“How?” she asked as he smirked.

“That’s pretty easy really.” He pulled a large knife and her eyes grew as he tapped it into one of his paws. “Animus trandeale formili….” Finnick sliced his paw open and she gasped before she jumped back into the street screaming and shaking her head. 

“NO!”

Nick was hopping from mammal to mammal when he heard her shout. One glance and he caught the dingy red blazer she was wearing as he jumped to the ground. She barreled right into him, both of them rolling over the other until he was lifting himself up on one arm with wide eyes, watching her nose twitching as she gaped up at him. Finnick tossed the knife before Nick glanced back to him and ticked his eyes between the blood and his paw. The smaller fox tilted his head to one side and raised both brows, watching her eyes nearly roll back to her head as she caught the scent of the red fox. Nick lost the air in his chest as her feet planted against his gut, tossing him off as she screamed again. “NO!”

Nick gasped as he rolled back over and clutched his ribs, sucking in a breath as he watched her bound through the crowd. He ticked his eyes to Finnick and growled as the small fox looked to his bloodied paw and shoved it behind his back. “Don’t move, Finnick. I swear if you aren’t here to explain this after I catch her, I will have Boris hunting you down.” He bolted off the ground huffing as Finnick shook his head.

“You aint gonna catch this one Wilde!” Nick stopped and watched Finnick chuckling as she vanished under feet again.

“The hell I’m not.” He growled as he dropped to all fours and sprinted forward again.

“YOU DON’T KNOW WHAT YOU’RE MESSIN WITH NICK!”

Wolford grabbed the receiver on his shoulder and barked into the radio. “Any and all officers in the market area, respond to unit forty-seven. Aid needed in crowd control on seventy ninth and Burllow St.”

Purple eyes looked back over her shoulder as Nick leapt at her. Finnick hit the ground, rolling over in laughter as she jumped into the side of a table and overturned everything. Apples, oranges and melons went rolling as mammals struggled not to slip on what had already been squashed under feet or fall as they took a step onto a stray rolling piece of fruit. Nick grabbed the edge of the table and jumped over it, sliding along the pavement on a rind as his eyes narrowed to the end of the block. He chuckled as he caught several officers lining up at the end of the street and watched her turn on her heels before she bounced back towards him again. He ducked under the swinging arm of a mammal trying to wade through the mess and caught her as he leaned forward. “Hi, Carrots.” He snarked as she looked up at him with her jaw hanging open. Her nose twitched as he leaned forward, still sliding along the ground on an unidentified rind as he caught his balance with the shift of their combined weight.

Nick watched her twist her eyes together before her fists curled around his shirt. They slid to a stop and he scowled at her when she opened her eyes again, jolting as a low growl bubbled from her chest. A primal warning shot through him that set off every strand of his fur and had his heart pounding in his chest as he tried to find reason behind a mammal three times smaller than him- prey-causing what he could only assume was fear. Her purple eyes shifted from the bright fear he had seen only a moment before to an eerie glowing angry red as she growled loud enough that several mammals around them snapped their attention to the pair. She hooked her leg around his and kicked off from him again, bolting as all the mammals around them seemed to take instant notice of the fox who was on his back, looking at her like he’d seen the devil as she started running from him again.

Nick shook it off as he jumped again. Driving forward past a sense of fear that instilled more anger in him than he could control without an immediate release of energy. “STOP! STOP HER!” Several mammals all tried to grab at her, and she bobbed in and out of their grasp as Nick sprinted again. I have never lost a perp- I am not going to start now! He bounced through the crowd as the officers who were at the end of the block started getting everyone calmed down and kept watching him chasing her back and forth between two sides of the street. Wolford shook his head as Nick followed her down a dead-end alley. He had seen Nick talking to someone on the other side of the street and already picked up the smaller fox. When she jumped out looking around frantically with no red fox chasing her, the wolf slapped a pair of cuffs on Finnick, locking him to a parking meter before jolting after her himself.

Finnick sat down and shook his head when she jumped high enough to catch a fire escape landing and flipped herself over it like she was climbing a simple flight of stairs. 

“WILDE? YOU HURT?” Wolford watched her swinging back and forth as Nick bolted from the alley. 

“No, but somebody might be before this is over.” The fox was growling loudly enough that the wolf turned blinking as he watched him jump and catch the same landing. He smacked a paw to his face as Nick grunted and swung his weight over the rails. The small female seemed to stop and shake her head like she was trying to make sense of something as she disappeared behind a water tower on a lower building. Wolford looked back and watched Finnick snickering as she dove into the top of it headfirst. 

“She’s nuts!” Wolford growled.

“No, she aint.” The small fox laughed as he watched Nick looking around, trying to figure out where she had gotten too.

“Alright, who is she, Finnick?” He asked as Nick started climbing the ladder on the water tower. The red fox froze as she burst from the water. The stocking cap over her head had hidden her species and the dingy red blazer that was two sizes too big had hidden the rest of her until she stood in front of a large screen shaped like the moon. It advertised the apartments in the building that she didn’t think anyone could see her behind, and the lighting may have been dim in the daylight but was still enough to cast a frame. Finnick tilted his head as Nick froze. The red blazer she was wearing had been pulled from her shoulders and she snapped it trying to get the water out of it. The cloud layer above the city cleared just long enough for her silhouette to be outlined perfectly, revealing every little curve she had been trying to keep hidden. 

“I have no idea who she is but- Hot damn.” Finnick growled.

The wolf shook his head as Finnick laughed. Her ears sprang up and she shook herself from head to tail as Wolford watched Nick gaping at her shadowed figure. “A rabbit! A rabbit! REALLY? SHE HAD TO BE A GODS DAMNED RABBIT! And why the hell is she diving into water when she knows he is chasing her!”

Finnick started laughing harder as Wolford watched Nick transfixed on her shifting shape. “She’s trying to get his scent off her.”

Wolford looked back to the small fox and scrunched his face up before his line of vision shifted back to them again. “Why? He couldn’t have had a hold on her for more than a few seconds.”

“Apparently that was all it took.” Finnick smiled as Nick jumped over the ladder and rushed around the section she was standing behind. She turned around as she flipped the jacket back over her shoulders and screamed as he jumped. Every mammal on the street turned their attention to the sound of a squealing rabbit as she fell back again, dragging him into the top of the open water collection tower on top of the building.

“All it took for what?” Wolford sighed as he looked back and found Finnick with a smile that said it all as he bounced his brows. “Oh gods…. You have got to be kitting me!” He groaned as Finnick fell over laughing, one arm tethered securely to the post while he was nearly bawling at how hard he was laughing. Both their ears shot up as Nick screamed, and they turned watching her jump back onto the scaffolding as Nick struggled to get out of the water.

“Distraction!” She mumbled as she looked around and found the same pair who had started it all. She jumped over several railings and over the side, kicking off the building and right into Marty’s back. The male ox flew forward, both his eyes growing as he slammed into Eileen. Wolford stood completely stumped and Marty and Eileen both froze as their lips connected. The entire block went silent as they both closed their eyes and fell into a kiss that left every jaw watching hitting the pavement. The doe giggled as she looked up and found the red fox frozen, with the exception of his head slowly ticking back and forth in astonishment. She slapped both paws over her mouth when his eyes snapped to her and his lips twitched as he grabbed the rail and jumped. 

“STOP!”

She looked around in alarm as all the mammals on the street seemed to shift their attention back to her. Her fists balled as she watched Wolford fighting not to let his lips pull over his teeth. Another glance around and she spotted the officers scattered through the crowded street as she let out a sigh of defeat. One jump was all that had kept the wolf from catching her as he dove her direction. He fell forward leering at Finnick as the small fox fell over laughing again. Just as she jumped to the next level on the building she froze as the red fox landed in front of her. Nick wasn’t even trying to hide the flash of his teeth as she stepped back and took a deep breath. She let out a heavy sigh and the fox screamed as she let herself fall over the edge with him jumping after her just as quickly. Several of the mammals on the street all stepped closer to the alley as they heard muffled grunting and cursing.

Nick popped over the top of the dumpster growling and hung from the side before he pulled out a large ball of red fabric. He had taken the arms of the blazer she was wearing and run them under her legs before looping them back under the sleeves and tying them in a knot behind her neck. Wolford cupped a paw over his muzzle as Nick walked from the alley with a bunny tied in a knot that looked as if it were being used as a strait jacket. The officers in the crowd turned snickering as he heaved several breaths under a straight brow. Nick flicked a discarded banana peel off his shoulder as Wolford snorted and tried to suffocate himself with his own paw. In all the years they had been partners he’d never seen one person manage to get under Nick’s fur. And a little bunny had made him angry enough that he was grumbling obscenities under his breath as he held her out and away from himself glaring at the crowd. Her head was dipped low into her chest as she looked around. All the vendors were clapping and laughing as Nick started walking her towards the block they had left the car. “Woah woah woah! You are not putting her in the cruiser, or yourself for that matter, smelling like that. It will take months to get that smell out of the car and you know it, Nick.” Wolford snarled as he looked them both over.

Nick looked over the crowd and spotted Francine helping several vendors set their tables upright as he threw his front teeth over his bottom lip and let out a sharp whistle. The elephant turned as Nick looked back to a large barrel under one of the drains. “Pennington, we need a shower.” She laughed as she stood and walked that way before she stuck her trunk in the water and was hosing them both down. 

Wolford shook his head as Nick rattled all the water out of his fur and glanced at the bunny as she sighed. “I haven’t seen anything like that since, well, you.” He laughed as Nick glared at him.

“Find out how he got hurt, Fort.” Nick tipped his head to Finnick and Wolford nodded as he turned back to the smaller fox. Finnick just smirked as he watched the bunny keeping her eyes to the ground while Nick looked as if he might burst into flames. “Name?” He asked as she dropped her shoulders and sighed. “Fine.” He growled as she stayed silent. “Maybe jail will make you a little more cooperative. Fort, we’re going to the car.”

Wolford nodded as he watched Nick walk past the tables that had been reset. He turned back to Finnick with a pen in one paw and notepad in the other. “How did you cut your paw?”

“Accident.” Finnick sniffed as he kept his eyes pointed the direction Nick had gone in. 

“She didn’t do that to you?”

Finnick shook his head chuckling and Wolford’s ears tilted to him as they locked eyes. “Ya aint got no idea what you’re fuckin with.”

“You said you didn’t know her, is she dangerous?”

The small fox chuckled as he looked back the same direction again. “Only if she’s alone with him.” Wolford groaned as Finnick looked at him and smirked. “If ya aint chargin me with anything and I’m not suspect for some kind of questionin or an investigation, I believe your breaking the law holdin me like this, Officer.”

“You’re saying she didn’t do that to you, and you don’t know her?”

Finnick nodded as he narrowed his eyes. “I think I been sayin that every time ya asked.” Wolford nodded as he stuck his pen and paper back in his pocket and unlocked the pawcuffs. Finnick rubbed his wrists and nodded back towards the direction their car was parked in. “Seriously, I wouldn’t leave her alone with him for too long. Ya really aint got no idea what you’re fuckin with.”

“I’m sure my partner can handle one little bunny.”

Finnick threw his head back laughing as Wolford tipped a brow. “I wouldn’t worry about him handling her, it’s her handling him that’s the problem. She will eat him alive.”

“Damn it.” Wolford growled as he started speed walking back to the cruiser, while Finnick stood there laughing. He rounded the corner and watched as Nick sat behind the wheel punching in several things while the bunny in the back seat kept her head low. Nick looked up as he got in the car and was scribbling on a notepad before he typed in something else that had the wolf peeking over at the screen. “She give you anything?”

“No.” Nick answered as Wolford looked into the back seat. “Her name is Judy Hopps.”

Wolford chuckled as Nick looked up at him. “Seems fitting since she has you hopping mad.” 

“Ah ha, aren’t you a riot?” Nick asked sarcastically as he sat down the clipboard and started the car. 

“Well, she is. Or at least she’s good at almost starting one.” Wolford glanced back at her again and shook his head. “How’d you find out her name?”

Nick pulled away from the curb with his jaw clenching repeatedly. “The patch on her blazer. I looked up the image and found the name of the school. One search of Bunny Burrows previous yearbooks online of anyone with purple eyes, and she stuck out like a sore thumb. The only thing she has said is that I should be afraid of her.”

“Funny,” Wolford said as he looked back and nodded. “Finnick said something weird like that too.”

Nick shook his head. “I’m not afraid of a polar bear ten times bigger than me. I’m not about to be afraid of a little bunny who is one third my size.”

Wolford looked back over the seat again as Judy tipped her head against the window. “Just because you aren’t doesn’t mean you shouldn’t be.” She grumbled as they headed to the station.


	3. Dangerous

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Plot Thickens

R.I.O feat. U- Jean; Animal*

Nick pulled up to the station and parked the car. He turned to his partner and glanced into the back seat as Judy stared at the floor. “When is Finnick coming in to give a statement?”

“He’s not.” Wolford watched Nick look out the front window and wrap his paws around the steering wheel as he fumed.

“Why not, exactly?”

“Nick, there was no reason to hold him, no reason for him to come in. He said she didn’t do that to him, and he wasn’t involved in any of this. There was no reason for him to come down here or give a statement. I’m not even sure why you brought h…” He held his paws up and tipped his ears back as Nick’s eyes slowly shifted to him while his paws tightened around the steering wheel. He left the seat in a huff and opened the back door, keeping a paw on her head as she left the car. Wolford sighed as Nick shook his head and started walking her up the stairs.  
Wolford checked the vehicle for the next officers who would be using it before he made his way inside and found Benji at the front desk typing. “Clawhauser?” The cheetah looked over the desk and smiled as he looked around. “Where did Nick go?”

“Oh, he took a rabbit down to the holding cells. Rewr too! Boy is he in a bad mood!”

“Did you already process her?” 

The cat nodded as he returned his attention to the screen. “I’m working on it. Yeah, I’m just putting the rest of her information in the system and checking for priors. Why did he bring her in exactly? It’s not like him to mess with someone who was... stealing food? What else was she doing anyway?”

“Er, hold off on that Clawhauser.” The cat tipped up in his seat with curious brows as Wolford shook his head. “I need to talk to him about this one. I think this is…well, he’s a mammal just like everyone else.”

Clawhauser nodded as he sat back into his seat and blinked as Wolford walked away. “What does that mean?” he shrugged as he returned to his typing.

Wolford rolled down the stairs and tipped his head at Rhinhorn as he passed the desk. The large herbivore grunted as he flipped the page and ticked his eyes up as he licked his thumb to unstick the pages from each other. “What’s got him wired today?”

Wolford groaned as he stepped through the doors. If Rhinhorn had noticed Nick was off, so would everybody else. A slamming clank of metal on metal turned him and he watched as Nick shook his head and walked past him heading back to the stairs. He glanced around the room, spotting her sitting in a corner of one of the larger holding cells and fought with the idea of moving her to another area. Better judgement ruled it would probably catch more attention and cause more problems, so he left it alone. He made his way back upstairs as Judy looked around and curled the blazer around herself.

Several mammals had taken note of her as she came through and a buck walked to her smirking as he circled her a few times. “Looky what we have here? What’s a girl like you doing in a place like this? Must have been pretty bad, to get thrown in with the gen pop holding and transfers. Who’d you kill anyway?” Judy shrank as several others walked around her. He took a seat next to her and she scooted closer to the wall as he chuckled. “Don’t worry cutie. I won’t let anyone bother you. Names Jack, but everyone calls me the Savage.” She looked at him as he grabbed the stocking cap and he pulled it off her head as he smiled. “Pretty too.” He stuck his paw on her knee and she jumped as he leaned closer. “Want to know why they call me the Savage?”

“Not really.” Judy hissed as she shoved his paw off her leg.

“Oh, no need to be so rude. Maybe I can help you change that attitude.” He leaned closer to her ear as several of the males around them chuckled. “Play along. I’ll make sure no one else bothers you while you’re in here.”

Judy narrowed her eyes on him before she looked around and grabbed his paw as it landed on her thigh. “What makes you think I need your help or want anything else from you?”

Jack pulled his paw higher and squeezed her thigh trying to lean closer. She narrowed her eyes before she grabbed his wrist again……

Wolford looked around the parking lot and growled as he failed to spot Nick’s car. He found his own and made his way back home, stomping to the fox’s door and knocking in a harsh pattern as he ground his teeth together. “Nick? We need to talk!”

The door swung open and Wolford curled his lips up as the fox glared at him in a flat face. “We don’t need to talk.”

“Think not?” he asked in a harsh tone as he shoved past Nick and waited until the door closed. 

“Did you think one time this afternoon about everything that happened?”

“What was there to think about, Fort? She had an entire block fighting and throwing food at each other like kits in a damn cafeteria!”

“Why?” Wolford asked as his lips tightened over his teeth.

“Because she was throwing it and had everyone else thinking someone else was doing it!”

“Why?” Wolford asked again as Nick threw his paws up. 

“Because she was stealing from them!”

“WHY DAMN IT!?”

“How the hell should I know why?! She’s a thief- she didn’t have any money? She was hun-” Nick’s arms fell and he slapped a paw to his head as Wolford nodded. “Fuck.”

“Yeah, Nick. That’s why she was stealing. She was hungry. It never occurred to you once that maybe the reason you were hell bent on catching her and got so pissed off was because she is a rabbit? We’ve seen at least a dozen cases like that in the last year alone. It’s pretty damn common in the city, and not once have you ever taken one of them to the station. I have watched you take them out to get them something to eat or hand them money, even pay for what they took- but not once have I seen you put one in cuffs or let them get so out of paw that it turned into a brawl. Except for the first time I met you, I’ve never seen anything like that! Maybe the reason she got so far under your fur wasn’t just because she is a rabbit, but because she managed to do several things today that you have been trying to do for a couple of years.”

“And what exactly is that, Fort?” Nick asked as he looked up from under his paw.

“She got past me, she managed to get Marty and Eileen to do something you’ve been trying to hint at every time we’ve had to go down there to break them up, and on top of that, she bested Nick Wilde.” Nick growled as Wolford shook his head. “That girl was not the problem today, Nick. You were. If you had done things the way you usually do, none of it would have happened. We would have left with Marty and Eileen still in a friendly standoff, she would have been let go with a warning and no one would have thought twice about the events of the day. Maybe you should think about the events of the day a little longer and try to figure out exactly who was chasing who today? I think you just ran yourself over and don’t even have the sense to see it!”

Wolford left letting the door hit hard and Nick sighed as he walked to the shower. After getting cleaned up and tossing on some clean clothes, he leaned into the wall and slid to the floor. “I ran myself down…” He looked around the empty apartment and out the windows before he scooted across the floor and sprawled out over the mattress. Hours had passed with him staring at the ceiling when he tossed off the light blanket and jumped to his feet. “Gods damn it. Might as well have thrown her to the sharks!” He grabbed the jacket he had thrown on the floor and rushed out the door, halting as Wolford stood on the other side of the hall.

“Just now figure it out?”

“Shut up.” Nick growled as the wolf smirked and tossed him the keys to his car. 

“Mine’s faster.” Nick sighed as he nodded and tossed him his own.

“The clutch still sticks.”

Wolford chuckled as he opened his door and watched Nick rush down the stairs. “You can still get a ticket if you’re a cop and shift change is in less than an hour, Nick!”

“SHUUUT UUUUP!” Nick’s voice echoed through the stairwell as Wolford went back into his apartment and closed the door.

He raced through the streets and parked in a hurry before he rushed through the front doors and huffed at the desk. Clawhauser leaned over with a tipped brow as Nick looked up at him panting. “Do you live here?”

Clawhauser giggled as he shrugged. “What’s up, Nick?”

“Did anything come back on the bunny I brought in earlier?” Clawhauser looked at his screen and shook his head. “Good, drop everything on her, would you?” 

Clawhauser looked up at the clock and sighed. “You better make it fast.”

“You won’t even know I was here!” Nick rushed down the stairs and past the empty desk. “CARROTS?” Judy’s ears shot up as he stopped at the door. The keys clanked as he tried to look through the large loop they were on. Nick opened the door and stopped as all the mammals in the cell stayed on the other side of the bars. His eyes narrowed as Judy turned to face him and his ears flicked back and forth as they all leaned away, plastering themselves to the other side of the cell as she stood. “You’re out of here. Hurry up, we have to leave before the Chief gets here.” She looked up at him as he stopped and watched another gray rabbit in the back of the cell frowning at him. “Odd for a rabbit to have stripes. You know, that’s not going to make you look anything more like a tiger or a predator buddy.” The buck scowled at him as Nick closed the door and tossed the keys back onto the desk. 

“Hey!” Nick looked back as the buck leaned closer to the bars. “What’s your name, cop?”

“Why are you asking?” Nick asked as he leaned back into the hall.

The rabbit smirked as he leaned his head against the bars. “Just want to know the name of the next guy on my list.”

The fox gave him an incredulous glare and shook his head. “I’m sure you’ll figure it out.”

“Nick Wilde. His name is Nicholas Wilde.” Jack looked back into the cell nodding at another inmate as Nick started hurrying her up the stairs and out the doors. He ushered her to the car and had just closed the door as several vehicles started pulling in. The largest had him jumping into the seat and trying not to slam the gas so he wouldn’t be seen. 

Judy looked back and frowned as Nick huffed and melted into his seat. She turned with her face flushing as her stomach rumbled and Nick looked at her cringing as he shook his head. “When was the last time you had a good breakfast? Or at least something more than pilfered produce?” The stocking hat she was wearing was missing and he chuckled as her ears shifted to her back and turned a dark pink as she looked out the window and dropped her head. “I think getting you something to eat is at least a start for tossing you into the wrong cell or dragging you in to begin with.” He was grinning as she looked back at him and her ears slowly lifted, looking at him suspiciously as he sighed. “I really just want to start over? Yeah, I know I have some explaining to do. But I’m on the up and up. Scouts honor.”

“Were you ever a scout?” 

Nick cringed and she giggled as he looked at her and flipped his ears back up. “Oh, she talks and laughs now! You got me there, Carrots. Cops honor then.” Judy tilted her head as she leaned forward, and he chuckled when she raised a brow and narrowed her eyes. “A better start this time anyway?”

She nodded as she leaned back into the seat. “Maybe for me too?”

Nick scrunched his brow down curiously and nodded as she looked at him hopefully. “Yeah, maybe for both of us. Do you like pancakes?” Judy bit her lip as she leaned back nodding and he chuckled as he stopped and turned the car around, heading back to the waffle house closest to the station. The fox smirked as she folded her arms over her chest. “Should I still be afraid of you?”

Judy scrunched her nose and looked out the window as she bit her lip. “You should be terrified.” 

Nick laughed as he nodded. “I probably should. But I’m still not.” He shrugged as she looked back at him and giggled again……

The shift change was the usual hum in the lobby as Clawhauser typed in his last report. The cat stopped as a flashing bar jumped on the screen and let his face fall as the name Judy Hopps rushed over the page in a flashing yellow bar. He tapped the page and closed it out as the next officer meant to take the shift waved and walked to the desk. Clawhauser closed out all his pages and waved back, trying to rush from the lobby without anyone noticing he was in a hurry. 

On the lower level, a federal officer was signing papers before he was led to the holding cells where he looked around and hardened his face as he raised his head. “Savage.” Jack stood and looked around as the mammals in the cell murmured and kept to the back corner of the wall. He turned and stuck both paws behind his back and hissed as low as he could manage as the cuffs were stuck over his wrists. The officer handling him lifted his ears and looked down watching him paw a slow message behind his back. He loosened one cuff and growled as he shoved Jack out of the cell. “Move, dirtbag.” Jack looked back at him and spit on the floor before he was shoved again. As soon as he was in the van that was meant to move him to a federal prison, his cuffs were off, and he was grinding his teeth as his handler shook his head and looked over his arm. “Christ Jack, you weren’t supposed to be seen in a way that made you look weaker than the strongest guy in there.” Jack’s lips turned down as a medic looked over his wrist and shook his head. “It’s broken.”

“I know it’s broken, and I wasn’t fighting. There was a doe in there.” Jack growled as he balled his fist and shook his head. “She almost broke my cover.” Jack’s handler and the medic glanced at each other and back to Jack as his brow dropped. “They didn’t see it, but they didn’t need to either. She scared the living hell out of everyone in that cell. They were too busy trying to get away from her to notice she broke my arm. I was trying to keep her from getting hurt because the cop who brought her in was pissed and not paying attention, or he was pissed and put her there because he was pissed. Find out who the hell she is and do it now.”

“A doe did this, Jack?”

Jack looked out the window and back towards the street they had just left as the medic wrapped his arm. “I can’t go into Quinten like this. It has to heal first. Set up a blockade for the next three miles and tell them I escaped and I’m on the run. Make sure it gets back to Precinct one and in the prison system, and bring me the cop who brought her in. His name is Wilde. Nick Wilde.”

“Why do you need him if she’s the one you’re after?”

Jack looked back to his handler and leaned forward as the med tech finished wrapping his arm. “Because he let her go and I have a feeling he’s going to be the only way I can find her again. I’m almost positive that Chief Bogo has no idea she was even there, or why.” 

“If she’s a bunny she shouldn’t be that hard to find, Jack.”

“She’s a bunny, but she’s not a normal bunny. Scratch that. I’ll ask Bogo about him. I don’t need to make him an enemy.” Jack tilted his head as his handler opened his paws waiting for an explanation. “She’s something else too. Something I’ve never seen before. I know what set her off. The problem is that she’s intelligent, but whatever she is becomes a threat when she feels threatened, and she has the capability to do some serious harm. That girl is dangerous if she’s not under control. Nothing more than a wild animal who will hunt and kill anything that gets in her way. If she’s not on our side, she could be on someone else’s.” Jack lifted his arm looking at the splint and shook his head. “One wrong move is all it will take. She could have killed me easily and stopped because of something I had to tell her, hoping she was smart enough to understand it. The other reason we have to find her is the next reason she’s so dangerous. She knows who I am.”

“You told her who you are? How did you no blow your cover?!”

Jack looked up and frowned as he nodded. “She threw me across the room. Snapped my wrist when I grabbed her trying to get close enough to whisper.” Jack blinked several times and cupped a paw over his head as he growled. “Morris code! I was blinking at her, she understood it and dropped me. Turned around and growled at all the others in there and backed them into a corner. She told all of them to stay away from her. There was a wolf in there who thought he was going to be cute and stepped to her puffing his chest out. It only took a second after he grabbed her for her to have him on the floor in a headlock, asked if they wanted to see her snap his neck to prove her point. Needless to say, since he was the biggest guy in there, I doubt any of them will tell anyone what happened or even confirm she was ever there.”

Jack turned as a small finger tapped his shoulder. The buck smiled as Skye sat next to him and looked at his wrist. “I don’t care who she thinks she is, when we meet, we’re going to have a problem.”

“No, we aren’t Skye.” Jack chuckled as she narrowed her eyes. “We just need to find her, and to do that we need to find out everything we can about Nicholas Wilde.” ……………..

“Carrots?” Nick pulled a chair out and waited for her to take a seat before he moved and sat opposite of her. A meercat handed them both menus and Judy raised her brows as the small female hopped up on a ledge and asked what they wanted to drink. The doe was grinning as she watched her leaving after telling her she wanted water and orange juice. Nick smirked as he leaned over the table, watching her keep her eyes on the little mammal as she went back to fetch their drinks. “Does that surprise you?” he asked and smiled as she looked back at him blushing. She kept her eyes to the side as the little female came back and hopped onto the ledge holding their drinks before sitting them on the table. “Thanks Shelley.” The small female took their order and lifted both brows as Nick shook his head. Judy had ordered a small breakfast bowl consisting of many fruits and a slice of toast as he shook his head. He looked over the menu and pointed out several things as Judy raised her brows. “Bring us what she ordered and double it, add a plate of the carrot pancakes, French toast and…wait. Can you eat eggs? I know some rabbits can but its…more a personal choice than uhm…” he motioned to his stomach and was lost for words as Judy tilted her head.

She looked at him and blinked as the little meercat covered her mouth to hide her smile. “I can eat them.” 

Nick looked back to the waitress and nodded. “All that and one of the house specials for her.” 

Shelley nodded as she took their orders and grabbed the menus before hopping down and heading back to the kitchen. Judy looked around unsure of what to say as Nick chuckled. There was an uncomfortable silence as she fiddled with the napkin on the table. “How did you become a cop?”

Nick smiled slowly as she kept shying her eyes from him. He explained how he had met Wolford and had her laughing as he told the story of being in the academy and ending up with him as a partner. Another waiter came to the table and sat several plates down. When he left Nick was grinning as she looked over the table. The house special for herbivores was a large mix of vegetables and fruit in a bowl twice the size of her head. She looked back at him and around the table as he leaned over chuckling. “Don’t tell me you’re one of those girls who eats like a bird?”

Judy looked back at him half shocked before she picked up a fork and pulled a plate in front of her. The fox snickered as she stuck her fork into the stack and shoved a bite in her mouth almost too big for her to chew. By the time they had finished breakfast he was sitting there looking around the table and laughed as she stuffed a few cut carrots in her mouth that had been cooked in a brown sauce and sweetened with brown sugar. He was chuckling as she covered her mouth and blushed with the surprise of a burp that slipped through. Nick looked around and nodded as she leaned away and sighed. “I like it. A girl who can eat.” He didn’t say much more on the subject. He was well aware of the fact that she may have just eaten all she could because she wasn’t sure when the next time she could eat was a factor. Shelley came and removed several plates in a few trips. She left the table with some sweet breads and Nick glanced at them and back to Judy as he picked one up and was nibbling on it before she grabbed one and joined him. “So, what’s your story?” Judy’s ears fell as she looked off to the side. “You don’t have to tell me if you don’t want to. Maybe something a little less personal? What did you want to be when you were a kit? I mean when you grew up?” Judy’s ears shot up and he was grinning as they fell. When she started playing with one of them on her shoulder he chuckled. “Something embarrassing?”

She shook her head and looked him over as she sighed. “I wanted to be a cop.”

“Really?” He asked as his brows rose. He leaned over the table and folded his arms as he dipped his head. “So, why didn’t you?”

He stayed watching her still rubbing one of her ears and she sighed as she picked up another piece of bread. “I couldn’t. Even if they had let me into the academy, I couldn’t be around other mammals.” 

“Why not? I mean why couldn’t you be in the academy or around other mammals?”

Judy looked back at him and tipped her head to one side like he was stupid and laughed. “They don’t let small mammals into the police academy.”

“Sure, they do.” He leaned back in his chair as her ears shot up. “They changed that a few years ago, after they had a successful smaller breed graduate and stay on the force for about ten years. Lionheart started the mammal inclusion program, there just hasn’t been anyone who has used it yet. So maybe if you can manage to be around other mammals you can still do that.”

“Who?” she asked, and he smiled wider as he shrugged and tipped a brow. “You?”

Nick nodded as she picked at the piece of bread, watching him. She bit into it and his face fell as she cupped a paw over her mouth. Her eyes curled together, and her breath shuttered as she dropped the roll on the table. “Carrots?” He leaned forward and she looked back at him with watery eyes, squeaking as she made a sour face. He stood and looked over the table as she spit something into her mouth. “Is that...a tooth?”

The doe was fighting tears as he rushed around the table and asked if he could see. After a few pleas she opened her mouth and he could see that one tooth in the front had chipped in half and she was holding the other piece of it in her paw. He looked back at the bread and his eyes went wide as he picked it up. “SHELLEY!” The waitress rushed to the table and shook her head. After Nick showed her the bread she rushed back to the kitchen and returned with a small glass of milk and the chef. “Brian?” Nick growled as the little meercat took the piece Judy was holding and stuck it in the cup. “Why is there a seed in the bread? She just bit into that and broke a tooth!”

The chef was a large boar who cringed as he shook his head. “I’m so sorry. Those are supposed to be cooked and the shells are removed before they can be eaten. It must have fallen off the shelf when the bread was rising.”

Nick helped her out of the chair as she was trying not to sob. “I’m taking her to the emergency room.”

“Nick it won’t do any good, all they can do is give her something for pain. You need to find an emergency dental clinic. Rabbits need their front teeth to eat right.” Shelley sighed as she handed him the cup of milk with the tooth in it. “Take this, a dentist might be able to save it if you get there soon enough.”

“Yeah, well right now I’d say what she needs is something for pain.” Nick left shaking his head and trying to keep her calm after they were told not to worry about the bill for breakfast. He rushed through the streets heading for the closest hospital as Clawhauser was looking through his contacts trying to find his number. 

Clawhauser balled a fist and threw it into his leg growling. He couldn’t find Nick’s contact information in his personal phone. The cat looked back to the precinct and debated on calling and asking, but with the way Albert was so strict on policy, he knew the older bull wasn’t going to help him. He turned and left, hoping he could find a way to talk to Nick and let him know there was a problem. At least he was grateful it was likely not going to find its way to the station, and he figure it probably wouldn’t cause any problems for the cop everyone liked…...


	4. Blank Spaces

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> One accident can pull everything apart

Marianna’s Trench; Who Do You Love*

“What’s the problem?” Nick looked up at the doctor and back to the bunny as she kept a paw over her mouth. He handed the gazelle a glass that had a little milk in it and tipped his head to Judy. “She broke a tooth. Bit into a macadamia shell or seed that accidentally fell into some bread when it was rising.”

“Ooh, I bet that hurt. You might as well throw that tooth away. They won’t be able to do anything with it. Let’s have a look.” He handed the little cup back to Nick and Judy scooted back on the table as he stepped closer. Nick folded his arms over his chest as the doctor looked back at him. The fox shrugged as he looked back at the bunny. The way she had acted while he was trying to help her into the car and in the waiting room made it obvious she was uncomfortable being around others, even more uncomfortable with any kind of physical contact. His attempts to comfort or reassure her were met with sharp movements that jerked her away from him and anyone else that got close enough to touch her. She also spent a considerable amount of energy trying to hide the paperwork she had filled out so he wouldn’t see it. He was a little shocked to discover she had some kind of insurance. Which meant she had a home address somewhere. He didn’t bother trying to get any information about it, he already knew policy and she wasn’t going to volunteer anything. 

The doctor stepped closer and raised his head, his horns tipping back as he tapped a finger on his chin. “Air hurts?” She nodded as he held out a paw and Nick watched as she sniffed him. It was the oddest thing he’d ever seen a prey mammal do, but seemed to be the right thing considering she let him step beside her. He smiled as he reached for her chin and held a small light in his other paw, and she slowly opened her mouth after a prompt. He had just enough time to spot the tooth that was broken in half at a vertical angle and led back into her jaw before she hissed and cupped both paws over her mouth again. “Hmm, may have exposed the nerve. She’s going to have to get that fixed. The two front teeth will still grow because rabbit’s front teeth grow throughout their life, but not the ones beside them.”

“I know.” The doctor turned back and looked at him with a tipped brow as Nick shook his head. 

A small nod and he turned back to Judy who was ticking her eyes between them. The fox was grateful he didn’t ask and that she couldn’t. “I’ll be right back. We’ll get you all fixed up Ms. Hopps. I’m going to give you a prescription for some pain meds and have the nurse give you something while you’re here. She’ll also give you a list of dentists and some emergency dental places in Zootopia. I suggest you don’t wait past the time to take the pills because any kind of liquid is going to feel like glass cutting through your jaw when it hits that tooth. You should also get some soft foods that you can keep at room temperature so they don’t cause the same problem to take with the pills. They have a tendency to upset most people’s stomachs.” He left and Nick watched her shifting on the bed as the nurse came in.

Ms…so she’s not married and if he said in Zootopia, she’s not from around here. I guess Finnick really doesn’t know who she is. Nick thought as he was quickly ushered out of the room after the nurse explained Judy would need to remove her jeans for a shot that had to be in her hip. Not that he needed any ushering as he jumped from the chair to leave and hastily stepped around the curtain separating sections of the E.R. He caught the doctor leaning over the desk talking to another nurse and chuckling before he looked around and walked that way. “Excuse me?”

The gazelle turned and smiled as Nick held a paw out. He laughed as the fox smirked. “Nick, it’s been a while since I’ve seen you in here, but that extended paw means you’re looking for something from me and you know I can’t tell you anything about her.” He chuckled as Nick looked at the ceiling and ran a paw over his ears.

“I wasn’t going to ask about anything like that. I was wondering about the whole…the way you held your paw out and let her smell you? I’ve never seen a prey mammal do anything like that before.”

The gazelle looked back as the curtain around Judy’s section was pulled open and sighed. “It’s not a habit of mine to tell other people’s business Nick, but seeing as how she’s going to need someone to take care of her while she is taking that medication, I can’t see the harm in this if you’re the one doing that. Are you? Another charity case?”

Nick looked back and watched Judy curling into a ball as he scowled. “Charity? No. But I will make sure she is somewhere no one will bother her and- When he turned back around the doctor was flat faced and the nurse behind him had stood behind the desk glaring at him as she tapped her foot. He rolled his eyes and sighed. “Fine, yes I’ll be taking care of her until this is fixed.”

The nurse behind the desk giggled as she retook her seat and the doctor shook his head. “Tell me Nick, have you ever seen a bunny with ears marked like that or a tail like hers? Or any bunny who has unusual marking that just don’t look quite right on the species?”

“Her tail?” Nick asked as he looked back at her and shook his head. “She’s had that coat on since I met her and it’s a good two sizes too big, so I haven’t seen it and wasn’t really looking. I didn’t think too much about her ears either.” 

When he turned to face them again the gazelle was smirking as he nodded. “Ever seen any other bunnies that didn’t look quite right with the markings in their fur?”

Nick furled his brow and nodded slowly as he looked around the floor. “Yeah, earlier today come to think about it. I just figured he had dyed his fur to make him look more like a predator because he was – doesn’t matter. Yeah, why?”

The doctor looked back at the nurse as she covered her mouth and leaned into the desk as he propped one foot in front of the other. “Bunnies are really good at multiplying, Nick. And for the sake of your safety and taking care of her while she’s like this, I’d be very cautious about how you go about handling things with her, so you don’t get hurt.”

Nick scoffed as he looked back at the little doe who was happily lost in dreamland. “She’s a bunny. I’m three times bigger than she is.”

The doctor laughed and Nick’s ears perked as he turned with a curious expression. The gazelle tapped his shoulder in a friendly manner and shook his head. “No, she’s not a bunny, Nick.”

Nick looked between them as the nurse who had left Judy walked around the desk. She handed the chart to the lead nurse as the doctor glanced at her. “She’ll need to stay here for fifteen minutes to make sure she doesn’t have a reaction to the medications because she said she’d never taken it before. Since it’s so early in the morning and the pharmacies won’t be open for at least another four hours you should take the prescription to the one here in the hospital before you leave. Maybe while we are watching her you can get that done?” 

“Yeah, I can do that if they’ll let me pick it up?” She handed him the prescription over the desk and the gazelle turned back to the fox as the other nurse turned and started taking information for someone else who had come to the window.

“I’ll call and let them know it’s you. If you have any problems with it just show them your badge and have them call me. There’s a new guy there and you may not know him because he moved here from out of town.”

Nick looked it over as the doctor stepped away and grabbed the back of his coat before he got more than a few steps. The gazelle turned chuckling as Nick cocked his head to one side and raised his brows. “What do you mean she’s not a bunny, Doc?”

The taller male glanced back at Judy and smiled. “The other bunny you saw? What did he look like?”

Nick shook his head. “He was gray, had stripes like a tiger on most of his body. His ears looked a little like hers.”

“I’m surprised you’ve seen two of them because they are extraordinarily rare. Always gray with black markings though. I’d say it’s probably three or four generations removed, maybe more because she looks like a bunny. Likely dormant in about all her siblings and something that just pops up on occasion in her mother, or father’s line. But she’s not a bunny, she looks like a bunny which means it happened back in a generation when it probably wasn’t openly accepted and is a dormant feature that usually shows through kits in their fur patterns. It may have been hidden in her family line, but she’s something else too. A predator of some kind.” Nick blinked as the gazelle turned back to him grinning. “I wonder what kind of predators have shaded ears and tails like that?” He left snickering at the shocked expression on the fox’s face as Nick looked back at her and stared. 

The fox jumped as the lead nurse tapped his shoulder. “Get moving Nick, it’s officially Friday and it’s going to get busy soon. We’re going to need the bed she’s in and you’re in the way. Go out the south doors and come back to the window so we can let you in to get her after you’re finished at the pharmacy, Ok?”

“Yeah.” He mumbled as he kept his eyes on Judy while he walked out the opposite doors. He didn’t have any problems until he got back to the Emergency room carrying a paper bag he stuffed inside his shirt as they tried to get Judy out of the bed. No sooner had he stuck his arm under her shoulder to help her keep her balance, she shoved him away and nearly fell over after she fell back and nearly knocked her head into the sink as her knees gave out. Nick huffed as he stood up and glared at the nurses who were both snickering under their breath while Judy was mumbling something he couldn’t make out. The fact that both of them got her up and were laughing so hard they were fighting tears as they kept glancing at him and fighting to get her to stay still, made it clear whatever he wasn’t hearing was about him. Her head rolled to the side and she looked up at the nurse on her right side trying to growl. 

“You…you shup ut. Yesh-har har- Das nit finny he shmils lika a-” she slurred, sending the nurse cupping a paw over her muzzle and pulling her lips into her mouth as she nodded and handed her off to Nick who rolled his eyes as they both looked at him trying not to laugh any harder. “Gid awiy!” Judy said as she looked up and Nick grabbed her by the arm as he shook his head. “You shmill lik a-

“Yes. I’m sure I stink like all foxes do, but you can barely walk, so I can’t get away from you until you are lying down somewhere.”

“Shtink?” she asked, and his eyes shot to the two nurses who were laughing as they rushed around the curtain. Nick grumbled as he watched their shadows fold in half. He tried several times to get her walking and sucked in a deep breath as she kept struggling to get away from him. “This is ridiculous. I’m trying to help you. Would you just stop-” The lead nurse grabbed the curtain and pulled it back as she heard him growl and watched him shake his head before he threw one arm under her legs and picked her up. Judy looked up at him with her head tilting back and forth as if she had no muscle control in her neck before Nick looked at the ceiling when it flopped onto his chest. His eyes snapped to the giggling nurses and he curled one side of his lip up as he tipped his head to the door. The fox watched a nurse open the door and narrowed his eyes as he fumbled the keys out of his pocket trying to keep Judy held to his chest. The other nurse took them and walked with him to the car. She helped him get her in the passenger seat and bit her lip as he shook his head, giggling again as he rolled the window down and stuck his nose out.

“I think you should have her take a shower before you go anywhere else.” Nick looked at her and dropped his face as she laughed again. “Maybe you know a girl who can help with that problem? She really doesn’t smell very good and if I noticed it, I can’t imagine what it smells like to a fox. Seems like she was almost trying to mask her own-

“Mask her own scent…” Nick almost whispered as he looked back at the doe who was limp in the seat next to him. “Or cover someone else’s.” He looked off as the nurse waved and nodded. 

“You didn’t notice it before?”

Nick shook his head as he leaned out the window. “No, I took a shower and- 

She shot him a cocky smile and tipped into one hip rolling her eyes when he snapped his jaw shut. “You really should stop trying to drown yourself in that cologne. Just because one girl said she liked it or that your scent was too strong doesn’t mean another girl won’t like it. You can’t smell anything under that artificial stench either. I gotta go Nick, you know Friday always brings in the crazy.”

Nick nodded as she rushed back through the sliding doors. “She knew I was going to catch her. That’s why she fell into the trash?” Nick shook his head as he started the car. It didn’t make any sense. Why would she dive into water that would pull all the scent from her but her own if she was trying to hide it or another scent in her fur if she had let someone mark her? She wasn’t married and by the looks of it had been on the streets long enough to know how to direct attention away from her if she needed to make a quick getaway or…..The fox glanced back at her remembering her standing behind the moon shaped add above the Eclipse Phase apartments sign and shook himself as he turned back to the steering wheel. He conjured just about every unpleasant thought he could imagine as he bombarded his brain with anything that would get the images out of his head while he pulled away from the parking lot. By the time he managed to get up the stairs and halfway down the hall, he glanced at Wolford’s apartment and sighed before looking to the door on the opposite side. He shuffled along the floor, careful not to step on any creaking boards, and tapped lightly on the door as he glanced back at Wolford’s. He knew as soon as the wolf heard the creaking groan from his door opening, he would be there trying to find out what had happened at the station and why it had taken so long for him to return.

A small bear opened the door and scrunched her nose up as Nick held Judy to his chest. She was one of the few tenants who wasn’t a canine and was friendly with everyone regardless of the fact. It was around five A.M and everyone knew she was a night owl who was rarely asleep at night. Nick also knew she was overly sensitive to scent and wasn’t fond of his cologne. “Mrs. Beesly, I need your help with something.”

“You both stink to high heaven and you need more than my help, Honey.”

The fox nodded as she leaned forward and looked down at him with narrowed eyes after looking over the bunny he was holding. “She broke a tooth and they gave her some pain medications. She needs a bath and I’m not comfortable helping her while she is-

“I’ll tell you what, I’ll get her in a bath if you take one and get that smelly crap out of your fur while I’m helping her.” Nick nodded and let her take Judy as he looked back to his door. She came back to the door after leaving the doe on her couch and chuckled as the fox looked back at Wolford’s door. “Don’t want him to know your home yet, do you?” Nick rolled his eyes as she stepped around him and took the keys he had pulled from his pocket. “You aint big enough to do this, but I’ve been here long enough to know how to handle this old building.” He tilted his head as she unlocked the door and held its weight up as she opened it. The bear grinned as he nodded. He stepped through the door and flipped his ears up as she called his name again. “What’s her name?”

“Judy.”

“Nick?” He turned and she looked around as she sighed. “I know I’m small for a bear of any kind, but I don’t have anything for her to wear after she’s clean and I’m pretty sure those clothes she has on smell worse than she does, plus they’re a might too big for her anyway. I can wash them for you but that will take a while.” The fox chuckled as he held up a finger and disappeared around a corner before returning with a large t-shirt, he handed her.

She turned in the hall and he looked around as he flipped his ears back. “Mrs. Beesly?”

“Hmm?” she asked as she reached for her door handle and looked back snickering when he looked at his door. “Just knock on the kitchen wall when you’re ready and I’ll open it again so you can come get her.” 

“Thank you.” She nodded at him, still grinning as she lifted his door and closed it as he went around the little wall that separated the kitchen from the living room. Nick took a shower after digging through his bathroom cabinet and finding a shampoo that would remove anything from fur. It had been so long since he hadn’t worn it that he was shocked at how much the difference made to his nose and what he could smell. He pulled on a uniform and picked up his phone, dialing several numbers the hospital had given him and finally found one that had two open appointments as he looked at the clock. 

“What time can you bring her in?” a friendly voice asked as he grappled with the fact that he was going to have to take at least half the day off work to get her there.

“Uh, before I bring her in, how much is this going to cost?”

He heard several papers being ruffled through and the receptionist muttering as he waited. “Let’s see, she’s an adult rabbit, it’s the second bifrontal tooth on the right side and she is…. ah, here it is. Somewhere between four and seven hundred dollars depending on how much of it has to be rebuilt.” The phone clattered to the floor as he dropped it in shock and picked it up shaking his head. “Hello?”

“Yes?” he asked trying not to growl in outrage as he heard her sigh.

“I know it’s a lot, but you have to think about how long a dentist and their assistants go to school and the cost of the materials.”

“I already know how much that costs.” He spoke through tight teeth and sighed as she asked if he wanted to make an appointment or find another clinic. “The later appointment. I’ll figure something out.”

“Ok, we’ll see you at ten then. What’s your name?”

“It doesn’t matter what my name is, hers is Judy Hopps.”

“Well, if she is taking any kind of medications for that broken tooth, make sure she does that right before she gets here because rabbits are really sensitive to anesthesia and a lot of them don’t do well with dental work. It makes them really nervous.”

“Yeah, I know.” He hung up rubbing his head before he tapped on the wall and walked out of the kitchen as the doorknob rattled. Mrs. Beesly held it up until he got into the hall and opened her door, letting him step into her living room before closing the door. His ears tipped to her as she giggled and pointed at her couch, sticking her paws in her robe as Nick leaned over the back. All he could see was a huge mass of blankets. She stepped around the arm of the couch pulling apart another thick pink robe that looked big enough to be a heavily threaded quilt for him. A small pink nose appeared before she pulled the rest of it away revealing the soft fur of a little gray bunny bundled in the fabric.

Mrs. Beesly tilted her head to the side smiling as she watched Nick looking her over. He handed her the t-shirt he had brought, and she smirked. “Going to try again are you?”

“Try what again?” He looked back at her as she ticked her eyes between them and groaned. “No.”

“You should you know. She’s a good girl and she likes you.” His eyes shot to the little bear as she tilted her head back grinning. “I understood everything she said. Comes from having a lot of cubs that lose teeth. They always talk funny until the new ones grow in. She said you smelled like violets and a broken heart.” Nick’s ears pinned to his head as he stood up and looked back at her door.

“A good girl?” He frowned as he shook his head and stuck both paws on his hips. “Pretty sure that doesn’t exist anymore.”

“Nicky.” His ears shot up as she used a name no one but his mother had ever called him. He almost fell as the weight of the bunny she shoved into his arms set him off balance. She grabbed his shoulder as he looked at her half stumped by the action until he felt small paws curling into his fur. His eyes moved back to the doe in his arms and brows rose as she sighed, inhaling the scent of his fur without anything covering his natural smell. The little bear giggled as his jaw fell open, watching her nose twitching before she smiled and fell into a still silence. “You are so much like your mother.” Nick moved to a large chair and took a seat after she motioned to it. She took a seat on the larger couch and watched him trying to get comfortable as Judy wriggled in his arms. Mrs. Beesly smiled as Nick folded a knuckle in half and ran it along her nose until she settled again. “She thought life was over after your father died. Until she met someone else who shocked her back to life.”

“Shocked?” Nick mocked as he looked back at her. “That’s a new way to look at it.” He shook his head as she stuck her paw under her chin. “She was so mad at me for having to go to Tundra Town. After they really started seeing each other I was the one who was angry. I accused her of trying to replace Dad and asked her how they could even think about being together when they could never… They weren’t even in the same size class, let alone the same species.” Mrs. Beesly giggled as he shrugged. “At the time I thought that was all that mattered in a relationship. It was the first time she ever scared me because she growled, and I’d never heard her do it before. Not even when her and Dad were fighting.”

Judy mumbled as she shifted, and his ears shot up as he looked at the bear again. “Enough for you to get the message?”

“Yeah. It was. Mom said love was…what did she just say?”

Mrs. Beesly smiled wider as Nick blinked a few times and looked back at the bunny. “She said love was not –

“Blind.” Nick finished as he stared at the bunny in his arms. He found the older female tipping forward before he looked back to Judy. “Did you tell her about that?” She shook her head as Nick sat up straight and caught the sight of the red blazer she had been wearing on the arm of his chair. He picked it up and turned it over looking at the patch on the sleeve before turning it and looking in the collar. “Gideon Gray…” He read out loud and sighed as he let it fall back over the chair arm. “Did she say anything else?”

Mrs. Beesly looked at the doe and nodded as she chewed her lip. Nick waited until she was looking at him again before he raised both brows. “The only other thing she said was that she is cursed.”

The fox grunted as he nodded. “Well I can understand feeling like that.”

“Sometimes it’s more than a feeling.” Nick looked back and caught the bear fidgeting before she stood and went to the kitchen. “You want some coffee, Nick?”

He rubbed his head as he shifted in the chair and looked at a clock hanging on the wall as its cat tail swung back and forth, reading a quarter to seven. “No, I need to figure out how I’m going to get her to the dentist. Well, pay for it anyway because even if her insurance is one of the rare ones that covers it, she’s not going to be able to tell them about it in this condition, and I need to call in to the station and take some personal time today.”

“Nick?” He looked up and found the bear smiling as she held out a cup almost too large for him to hold. She sat it on the table and removed the rabbit from his arms, wrapping her back in the robe she had been in and laying her on the other end of the couch before retaking her seat. Nick glanced at the cup and picked it up, gulping half of it as she covered her mouth. 

“Can you keep an eye on her for a while?”

She nodded and he stood pulling a bottle of pills out of his pocket that he handed to her. “She needs to take a couple of those in about twenty minutes with something warm enough it won’t hurt her teeth. I need to talk to a few people and shift some things around.”

He stepped to the door and turned the handle as she cleared her throat and leaned over the couch. “I’ll bring you some honey when I come back, Mrs. Beesly.”

She giggled as she looked over her shoulder. “I’d rather you took my advice and your mother’s example. You know, just because you lost one doesn’t mean you can’t love another.”

Nick closed the door and leaned his back into it as he shook his head. The last thing he wanted to do was what he was thinking about. Asking for help from someone he had avoided for years. Of course, he didn’t want to think about what Mrs. Beesly, or his mother had said about finding love again either as he shoved both paws in his pockets and headed to the stairwell. Love is a choice Nicky. We can live and die in the past with the love we have lost, or find a new future by letting go of something that hurts so much it could kill us. You can be surprised again by finding yourself right where you belong, when you felt like you didn’t belong anywhere…

Her voice echoed through him as he stopped at the top stairs and pulled out all the change in one pocket, hoping to grab something from the vending machine at the bottom of the stairs. He stopped as a glitter caught his eye. The ring had been shuffled between each change of clothes and stayed with him for months. He grabbed it between two fingers and held it up, ticking his eyes to the ceiling as he shoved the change back in his pocket. “A choice…. Ok Mom.” He chuckled before he was grinning and rushing down the stairs.

Mrs. Beesly closed the door giggling as she looked back at the couch….


	5. Old Black Magic

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Bunnies, bunnies everywhere-

The Wonders; That Thing You Do*

Nick drummed his fingers and jumped from the car as the sign was flipped over. He rushed through the door just as the weasel stepped back behind the counter and looked at him as he groaned and fell on the counter in front of him. “Aww come on Nick! It’s too damn early for you to be in here hassling me about a case you’re looking into or fencing stolen shi-”

“That’s not why I’m here, Duke.” The weasel jerked up and narrowed his eyes as the fox reached into his pocket and pulled out a box he laid on the glass countertop. Duke opened it and looked back at him still keeping his ears half back as Nick stared. “What is this?”

“You can see what it is, Duke. I just need to sell it.”

The smaller predator cocked his head the to the side and picked it up, examining the box before he pulled an eye piece he inspected it with. “The box is real, but the ring is fake.” A low guttural growl had the weasel cringing as he looked back at Nick and grumbled. “Where’d you get it at anyway? This is a one of a kind thing you can only buy at Renaldi’s, and no one brings things like this into a pawn shop.” He looked up and found Nick scowling as his ears flattened to his head. “I’ll give you twelve for it.” Nick narrowed his eyes as Duke shook his head. “I know they don’t take back what they sell even if you have a receipt. I’m giving you twice what I would give someone else cause we got history. I don’t have any idea how long it will take me to sell it.” Nick leered as Weaselton shook his head. “Take it or leave it if it’s a legal sale. You won’t get a better offer, but you can sell it online and probably get close to what you paid for it that way.”

“I don’t have time to wait very long for that or you, Duke.” Nick looked at the clock behind the counter and back to the box and nodded, watching as Duke pulled cash from the register and left some papers for him to fill out on the counter. He counted the bills out, laying them down as Nick signed the papers and laid the pen down.

“I need a copy of your I.D. too.” The fox looked at him and tipped his head down as he curled his lips up. “Hey, you’re the one always telling me to make sure I’m keeping track of all this so it’s legal like. You aint no different than anyone else who walks in here wanting to sell something just cause you’re a cop. I still need proof it was legal if someone comes looking.”

Nick pulled his billfold and handed his license to Weaselton as his smile kept growing. “I’ll get you legit if it kills me.”

“Yeah I think you already did that and you getting me legit is what’s already killing me. At least my profits anyway.” Duke growled as he made a copy and handed him back his license. Nick left stuffing the bills into his pocket and laughing as he slid back into Wolford’s car. He called the station and let Albert know he would be taking at least the morning off and hung up as he parked along the street in front of his apartment building. At least Weaselton had made the transaction quick and he didn’t need to try and haggle with him over the price. He was sure if he could get more somewhere else, he would have told him for the simple fear that if he found out different later, he could make his life miserable. Not that he had any plans on it as he rushed back up the stairs and stopped at Mrs. Beesly’s door. 

He stepped over the creaking board in the floor and stuck Wolford’s keys in his box before repeating the same action in reverse. They both had a spare set of keys in case they lost their others, and he was more worried about getting back before he was missed than exchanging keys that would lead to explaining what was going on.

He knocked lightly and glanced back at Wolford’s door before checking his watch. His ears shot up as he heard giggling and when she opened the door and stepped aside, he almost let his jaw drop watching Judy hopping between the chair and the couch like she was a five-year-old playing lava floors. The shirt he had given the bear for her to wear was tight fitting on him, but swayed around the little doe as she moved, revealing every curve he had already tried to burn out of his head as he turned quickly slapping a paw over his face. “Please tell me her clothes are clean.”

Mrs. Beesly’s laughter had him curling his eyes together and he wanted to slide to the floor screaming as he heard- “Clean, yes. Dry, no. And since the dryer quit again it’s not going to be anytime soon.”

He looked back into the room and jerked back around as she laughed. “Did you get her drunk?”

“Nooo. I did not. But I was curious about how she was acting too, so I looked up the medication they gave her, and it has a very different effect on rabbits than most other mammals.”

“Let me guess, it gets them drunk.” He snarked as she pulled the door closer when Judy noticed she was talking to someone.

“No, it’s not even a narcotic. It’s something that blocks pain receptors and just makes them not care, not have much common sense, or act their age.”

“Is there a difference?!” he asked as he ran his paw down his face.

“Who ish it!?”

Nick looked back at her shaking his head and begging her not to let Judy know he was there. She hissed as she tried to hide her laughter from the little doe. “It’s nobody, Honey. I just wanted to watch the paint on the walls out here.” Nick looked at her with a dumbfounded expression and ticked his eyes back as if he might look again and turned shaking his head as she raised a brow grinning.

“Ooh that shounds like fun! I wanna do dat too!’

Mrs. Beesly lost it as Nick started waving his paws in front of himself shaking his head as he mimed the word ‘no’ repeatedly. “It’s a really ugly color, Honey. You should see if there is something on the T.V. instead.”

“Whereshs da remode?”

“It’s on the table in front of you, Sweetie. The big black thing that looks like a giant brownie.”

“I founs it!” He looked back into the room with astonishment as the bouncing sounds stopped and blinked as she looked over the remote before she was trying to chew on it.

“No, Sweetie! It only looks like a brownie- it’s not food, but I can make you something to eat if you’re hungry. Push any button and it will turn on.”

“You have got to be shitting me.” Nick muttered as Judy looked it over trying to hit one of the buttons she kept missing.

“I never shit with anyone. Always thought it was a more private and personal affair to take care of.” Nick looked back at her as his mouth fell apart and she was rolling as he seemed to twitch a few times.

“Did you take some of her pills too?”

“No,” she laughed and shook her head while Nick glanced back into the room. “And the last time I checked I wasn’t a rabbit, but I am single if you’re interested.”

“You talk about da seshy fox?”

“Seshy?” he mimed shaking his head.

“What fox is that, Honey?” she asked and kept her smile on as Nick’s ears shot up.

“Seshy Fos! Cause he should be in dat magazine with bunnies on it! Hod Fox!”

When his eyes snapped to her again, she clutched her knees laughing. He groaned before he rubbed both temples. “I’m going to Charlie’s. I have to get her some clothes.”

Mrs. Beesly opened the door again and was keeping her voice low as the television came on. “The next block over has an outlet store. You should try there first, since it’s closer.” Judy jumped from the couch and hopped closer as Nick’s eyes flew open.

“Good idea, I’ll be back as soon as I can!” He ran back down the stairs letting out a breath of relief as he walked to his car, and he didn’t feel even a little bit guilty about the lie he told her on hurrying back. Once he had reached the store, he killed more time than searching for clothes. After what he considered the most embarrassing conversation he’d ever had with a few bunnies in the store trying to get her sizes, he left still feeling like his fur might catch fire as the three who had helped him giggled and waved him out the doors swooning. He slid into his car and let his head thump into the steering wheel after tossing the bag in the passenger seat. “How the hell should I know if she wears a bra or a thong!” That was why it had been so embarrassing. The three does who were working in the store had snatched or pointed out a few other rabbits, even going so far as to haul them over so he could look at them and compare the goods -or their sizes, to Judy’s and pick the one who looked the closest to her. He started the car and tried to pull away as quickly as possible as the does in the front of the store still stood in the front talking about him behind the large windows, causing his ears to flare again as he forced himself to smile and not slide under the steering wheel.

Once back at his apartment, he waited outside for Mrs. Beesly to help Judy get dressed and was trying not to pace the hall as he kept glancing at his watch. Technically, the day shift started at nine A.M, and he wanted to get out of the building before Wolford came out to leave for work. After hearing his partner shuffling around behind his door, he rushed through Mrs. Beesly’s and closed it slowly, barely missing being spotted as Wolford searched through the box on the wall and grabbed his keys. Nick sighed as he heard the footsteps that led back down the stairs. He turned and found Mrs. Beesly with her paws cupped in front of her wearing a smile he really didn’t understand, until she stepped to the side and revealed the little bunny looking at herself in the mirror. Nick’s face fell as he gawked, while Judy turned looking herself over as she held one side of the sun dress he had bought in one paw. A soft yellow color with almost invisible blue flowers that fit her like a glove and looked as if it had been taylor made for her to wear. It was a simple dress that had two layers, a sheer fabric of a slightly lighter yellow over the first, with spaghetti straps that fell just over her collar bones. Nick nearly stopped breathing as she turned and caught him in her sights, her eyes almost making the ghostly blue flowers in the sheer fabric look purple as she hopped a few times. “SESHY FOX!”

He almost backed himself into a corner as he stepped away, looking for a way to avoid her plowing into him until Mrs. Beesly giggled. “Stop!” The little bunny ground to a halt a few feet in front of him and cocked her head to the side and Nick blinked as he held his paws in front of himself like bumpers. He couldn’t believe just saying that had worked. She stood there in front of him before her eyes went from his ears to his toes and back again. He looked at himself and was grinning as he cupped a paw over his muzzle. Uniform. Perhaps a small advantage in the fact that the medication she was taking made her appear to be drunk, also had the unusual effect of instilling respect for the law she hadn’t shown before. Nick looked back to Mrs. Beesly smirking as Judy swayed. He also figured that the faster she was moving under the influence also gave her some kind of stability she didn’t have at a slower pace after she stumbled into the arm of the couch. The older bear watched him leading her down the hall to the stairs and closed her door smiling after they had gotten down far enough she could not longer see their ears.

Nick opened the door for her and waited until she was in the car before he closed the door and jumped behind the wheel. He kept glancing back at her until he had found the parking lot he was looking for and pulled the keys from the ignition. He hadn’t decided yet if the reason she was so quiet was because she was somehow intimidated by the uniform or law she had shown reckless abandon for before, or if she was lost in her own thoughts. Because even though he was grateful for her seeming to be subdued under the circumstances, he was becoming more and more uncomfortable as her eyes seemed to be glued to him. Even after he helped her out of the car and into the office with her wobbly movements, she never took her attention off his face. “Whash you name?”

He looked off and shook his head at the thought. All the time he had been trying to get everything done and even after taking her to breakfast he had never told her his name? “Officer Wilde.” When she clutched his arm and stepped in front of him narrowing her eyes while he tried to keep her from tripping on his feet, he knew it wasn’t the answer she was looking for and sighed. He had hoped with title, it would keep her in the same state while they waited to be seen. “Nick.”

He stepped to the desk and glanced back at her from the row of chairs he had sat her down in and gave all the information the receptionists asked for as Judy’s eyes fell. He stood there trying to quickly fill out what was on the clipboard and explained he didn’t have any other information as Judy’s eyes kept ticking back and forth along the floor behind him. “Oh Gods!” He almost screamed as he was pulled to his knees, one paw clutching the ridge over the top of the desk as the receptionist stood and looked over the edge. Several mammals in the waiting room leaned over in their chairs and raised their brows, while several bunnies who were waiting looked and covered their mouths giggling as he lost his grip. She had watched his tail flicking back and forth and jumped, wrapping around it and pulling him to the floor with her weight. As soon as he had looked back, he was fighting not to show his teeth as he tried to wrestle her paws apart. “Judy- Stop that! You don’t just go around grabbing people’s tails!” He was careful not to call her Carrots after taking note that half the people waiting were bunnies, and the last thing he wanted to do was offend anyone considering he had given her the name for stealing the vegetable. 

She looked up at him pouting and screamed. “ISH A FUFFY TAIL!”

“Yes, it’s a fluffy tail, but it’s not yours so let go.”

“ISH MY TAIL NOW! I FOUN IT!”

This sent everyone around them snickering and he was instantly aware of the audience they had as his ears pinned to his head. He was grumbling as he managed to stand and watched her hugging around the thickest fur as he stuck his paws on his hips. “Go back to the chairs and I will let you pet my tail.” Judy jumped and Nick took a seat beside her, flipping his tail into her lap as she bounced in the seat. She wrapped around it again giggling as he slumped into the seat and grabbed several magazines he stuck in his lap before he covered his eyes with a paw and fought not to groan. This wasn’t a good day to stop wearing the cologne that covered his scent because if he couldn’t find something else to get her attention on, he knew he was likely going to run the other patients off with the effect she would have on him that was already taking root.

“Need some help?” His eyes lifted as he heard another voice and he tried to sit up as several older does took seats around them. His claws were biting into the magazines covering his lap as one of the ladies picked up a little doe who was holding a doll with long strands of yarn sown into the head. A heavy sigh and they all giggled as Judy’s attention was redirected by the little bunny in her mother’s lap.

“This is dolly. Want to brush her fur?” Judy curled her lip and squeezed around Nicks tail making him suck in a breath as he pinched his temples between his thumb and finger. “Did you see the fish?” She asked and Judy looked the direction she was pointing before she gasped.

“FISHES!” She was gone faster than Nick could raise his eyes again, and all the older does were laughing as they sent their kits the same way. Nick let his head fall back and groaned as they all giggled again.

“No one ever brings a bunny who has to take medication for a damaged tooth alone. Are you bringing her as a city employee or is she your girlfriend?”

He looked around at them a little slack jawed as they watched his reaction and they ticked their eyes between each other as he shifted in his seat. “Neither, I took her out to eat and she bit into a macadamia shell or seed that had fallen into the bread by accident.”

“OOOH.” They all cringed at the imagery and nodded. “It’s very sweet that you brought her. We’re all aware of what happens with that medication, so we make it a group event because it’s like having an overgrown toddler who is too strong to handle.” He looked up watching one of the ladies rushing to the tank and she grabbed Judy’s paws telling her not to tap the glass.

“Yeah, I’d say that’s fits perfectly.” Nick relaxed as they all giggled and tossed the magazines back on the table before he looked back to check on her again. After exchanging a few stories they had experienced with their kits under similar circumstances, he was pleasantly surprised at how comfortable he had become when he heard her name called. 

“Judy Hopps?”

“Ladies.” He tipped his head to them and grabbed Judy, following a nurse into the back section as the bunnies in the lobby all glanced at each other grinning. 

“Those two would make a cute couple.”

“Fishes!” Judy squealed.

“Judy, if you follow her, I’ll take you some place you can see ten times more fish.”

“More fishes!? Prettier fishes?!”

“Yes, yes, lots of fishes. Very pretty fishes.” He glanced back watching the older does snickering and his eyes popped when Judy grabbed his arm and tugged him out of their sight.

It was surprising how quickly a doctor had come into the room. Nick stood and half chuckled as the cat turned, before he stuck his paw out. The jaguar looked at his extended paw and scoffed before he was wrapped in thick arms. “Nick! I haven’t seen you since I worked for Mr. Big!”

“It’s a small world, Mr. Manches.” Nick smacked him on the shoulder as they separated.

“That’s Dr. Manches now.”

The fox nodded and leaned back watching him step closer to Judy who had taken a seat and was looking at the light above the chair. “I guess the limo driving paid off?” He asked and stepped closer as she covered her mouth and shook her head.

“I told you it was paying for me going to school. I think I might need a little help with her. I always have problems with bunnies. Skittish when it comes to their teeth.”

“Hang on a sec.” Nick stepped closer and took a seat next to Judy as she scowled. “Can he see your teeth? He just wants to fix the one that’s broken so it doesn’t hurt anymore. We can go see the fish after we’re done.”

“MO!”

“No fishes then.” Judy frowned as Nick smirked. “I know a place you can buy cups of food and throw into the water. There are so many fish that they jump out of the water at you. Please let him look at your tooth, Judy?”

“Cawwots!”

“You want me to get you some carrots instead? You can’t eat them with a broken tooth.”

She uncovered her mouth and narrowed her eyes. “You onwy caw me Cawwots!”

Nick’s ears tipped up as he nodded. “You want me to call you Carrots again?” Manches was cupping his chin chuckling as she nodded. “O.K. Carrots.”

Manches leaned over pressing his thumb to her chin and she opened her mouth as she looked between them. He stood nodding as Nick looked back at him. “Pretty sure we can get around the x-rays. Looks like she won’t need a root canal. I have another guy who’s been working in my office for about a year. It would be easier for him to work on her because he’s a lot smaller than me. Think you can keep her happy like this while he fixes her tooth?”

“SESHY FOX CAN KEEP ME HAPPY!” Judy grabbed him around the neck and nearly pulled him over her in the chair, giggling before he looked back at her in shock. 

He looked back to Manches with his ears tinting as the cat laughed silently. “I think she likes you a little bit Nick. I’ll send him in, and by the way, when we are working on rabbits, we always wear noise cancelling headphones. Keeps us from laughing while we work on them. Too many times it couldn’t get done with them getting us laughing so bad we were in tears and had to reschedule the appointments.”

Nick tried to get Judy’s paws unwound from around his neck as he shook his head, mumbling about how it must be odd to get used to being around insanity as Manches left the room laughing. He sat back down letting her keep a grip on his tie and only a minute or so had passed when a hare came in and was setting up tables. He instructed Nick on what he needed and to pay attention in case he needed help with her as two assistants came in. As soon as the other dentist had taken his seat all three of them pulled the large earpieces over their ears and set to work. He was explaining everything he was doing as he worked so they would both understand it, but by the time he had gotten to using the blue light that set the new dental material, Nick was in tears laughing at her. Judy had use of her mouth again and though her words were slightly slurred, he could understand her even with the material she had stuffed in her cheeks and around her gums. A few rooms down a jet-black bunny had tipped back in her chair and looked out the door before she shook her head and returned to helping Manches with an elephant who had broken one of his tusks.

Nick had ducked his head beside the table trying to catch his breath and clamped one arm over her chest as she openly ranted about how horrible all three of them smelled. He didn’t have time to consider the fact that he didn’t smell it and figured it was just something in her head as she went on about all of them having been together. And when she asked if there was some kind of special sex party they sent invitations for so she would make sure not to go because they were all nasty- he had almost fallen out of the chair. Every time she said the word nasty, she put more emphasis behind it and he lost a little more of his composure, hastily trying to get her to stop talking as the dentist took the headphones off and stood from the chair. Judy sat up as the remaining nurse tried to remove the clip napkin on her and Nick grabbed her wrists as she smacked her paw away. “Don’t touch me!” The nurse waved him off and Nick looked back at them after putting the chair he had been sitting in back into the corner as Judy frowned.

“I’d keep an eye on her for a while. It’s not terribly common, but sometimes they can get sick to the stomach and pass out after dental work. That repair should be good for the rest of your life Ms. Hopps. Provided you don’t try to bite into anymore bread that has seeds in it.”

“Bread? You have lots of that going on around here and I bet you lost all your seeds getting it too!” Judy scrunched her nose and Nick lifted a brow as his jaw fell. 

“Carrots!”

Judy looked back at him still scowling as the dentist shook his head. “It’s alright. We’re pretty used to what rabbits are like when they come in. There’s not much that shocks us about it. I hope you can get her something real to eat now. It’s almost lunchtime and she shouldn’t have any problems at all.” Nick tried not to roll his eyes as he helped her out of the chair. I doubt anyone has said anything that offensive before. 

Judy wobbled as Nick stuck an arm under her shoulder. “I have to pee!” 

He cringed as he wondered if she would need help and the nurse pointed to a door across the hall telling him there were rails she could use. The area opened into what he assumed was some kind of lounge when he spotted several vending machines, but it was actually located next to the fish tank and part of the waiting area not seen as easily as the rest of the room. As he left her to her own accord and closed the door, he looked around wondering if anyone had caught the things she had said, but nothing seemed to be out of order. Hu, must be pretty common. When he turned back the other direction, he nearly plastered himself against the wall as a jet-black furred bunny with blue eyes that contrased so much against her fur, they looked like they were glowing stood in front of him. “Roxie!?”

The doe smirked as she watched him panting. “Come to beg me back? I’m surprised you’re still alive.”

Nick let his head fall as his eyes hit the floor. “Sexy fox!” Judy rushed out the door and knocked him over as she fell on his chest. She was looking up at him grinning as he lifted on both elbows and looked back seeing Roxie standing there with her jaw hanging open.

“Who the hell is she?!” Judy turned as Nick tried to get them both off the floor and narrowed her eyes as the dark furred doe across from her watched them both standing.

“Come on. We need to leave now.” He was trying to get her past the little area as his ex-stepped in front of them and started tapping her foot.

“What are you doing with my fox?” Judy looked back up at Nick and watched him close his eyes as he cupped his head in one paw shaking his head.

“You’re a bunny…” Judy gawked as Roxie smirked and scrunched her nose. She leaned forward with her nose wiggling, pushing Nick against the wall. “And you’re nasty.”

“We need to leave now Carrots, come on we have to go.”

“Carrots?” Roxie asked and laughed as she played with the chain around her neck. “You let him call you Carrots? Or does he just call you that because you aren’t worth a bushel of them compared to the bunny who owns him already?”

Nick was horrified as Roxie laughed, especially when Judy seemed to tilt her head as if the gears had suddenly started turning again. When she turned to face him with the sweetest, most innocent smile he thought he’d ever seen, his ears shot up when she giggled. “Nick, can I tag you?” 

His eyes shot to the door and in his head, he was replaying the conversation about how they were like oversized toddlers when they needed dental work. He cupped both her shoulders smiling and nodded. “If you want to tag me and it gets us to the car faster, yes, you can tag me.”

Judy looked back over her shoulder as the dark furred doe kept laughing, until she hopped up high enough in front of him to grab a chunk of scruff under one of his cheeks between her teeth and crashed back to the floor. He had no choice other than to take a knee. It was instinct and nothing more that caused his arms to curl around her, one paw landed securely on the back of her head as the other clamped around his muzzle keeping his teeth from splitting and latching onto her as well, while he hissed out an urgent whine of needing the action. While it was fairly common for most mammals to know about how a fox’s tail worked and the significance it could play in bonding a pair, what she had called tag, was known to foxes as tethering. Something almost all the rest of the world called claiming a mate. It was the first, the last, the only step in finalizing someone as a life mate that would bind a fox to someone for the rest of their life, and a well-hidden ritual that was never revealed unless absolute certainty was guaranteed. Judy raked her teeth along his skin and Roxie watched in shock as Nick melted into another whine while he let go of his muzzle and bunted his head along the inside of her neck. She turned and looked back at the dark furred doe in a similar cocky smirk as she shook her head confidently. “He was never yours if he didn’t trust you enough to tell you about that. But with a name like Roxie, it’s no wonder all the guys want you around. It’s all a doe like you is good for.”

The elation rushing through Nick’s blood fled as he grabbed Judy and rolled the other way. The dark furred doe crashed into the wall against a lit panel and turned as Nick was struggling to get Judy to stop trying to jump back at her. “Stop, stop, stop. Carrots, we need to leave!”

“You bitch! Get out!” Roxie growled.

“Yes, I am a bitch but at least I don’t smell like four different guys! You stink like the hare, both the other two girls he is sleeping with here and three other guys!” Judy growled in return. 

Manches lifted his ears as he sat down the tools he had been using and yanked the mask from his face as the bull in the chair’s ears tilted back. His eyes ticked up to the intercom system before he excused himself and left the room.

In the lobby a dark brown hare who was heading to lunch looked up and gulped as a badger growled at him. His head shot to the side as she hit hard, and jerked the other way as the other nurse stepped in front of him with her teeth out. His head shot the other way and he was left holding both sides of his face as the mammals in the lobby watched wide eyed. Nick was wrestling with Judy as she kicked her feet out at the other bunny, while he turned circles trying to keep them apart. The insults they were hurling at each other and his pleading for them both to stop may as well have been on opposite sides of an old cassette tape. One side was being listened to and heard full force, while the other seemed to be invisible. He managed to get Judy to the door and had it opened as she spouted another stream of insults he couldn’t wrap his head around.

Mothers in the lobby cupped paws over ears as the dark furred doe kept trying to get around Nick at the gray bunny he was holding as she screamed again. “You give all bunnies a bad name! You are the reason other mammals think we will sleep with anything! You horrible nasty evil doe! You’re just a – you’re a trashy one-time use - Dill doe!” Nick’s ears pinned back as he heard several gasps from the lobby and Roxie froze as she looked around after Nick managed to get out the door with Judy.

Manches flipped the switch on the desk turning off the P.A. system and glared at the hare. “You’re fired.” The buck dipped his ears and headed back to the rooms to pick up his things as all the eyes shifted to her. 

“I thought this was a family-oriented business.” Someone whispered as Manches nodded and flipped his ears back.

“It is. Join him Ms. Angora, I insist.” The large cat almost growled as he stuck both paws on his hips.

“ME? WHY? WHAT DID I DO? I WAS JUST TRYING TO GET THEM TO LEAVE!”

“Nothing else included Roxanne, you should have read the contract you signed when you were hired. Relationships in the office are prohibited.” Manches watched her grab her jacket from the wall and rush out the front door as he shook his head apologizing to his customers. 

Nick had just managed to get in the car and turn the key as Roxie screamed. “NICHOLAS WILDE! You can’t leave me like this! You just got me fired! What am I supposed to do?” No sooner had her voice carried, Judy was trying to get out his window, over his lap growling. 

“Judy stop, sit down.” He was trying to keep her on the other seat as the bunny outside the car set the pavement under her on fire. “I don’t know Roxie. Just…do that thing you’ve been doing. It seems to be working for you, it’s gotten you this far.”

Judy jumped into his lap and Nick groaned as he cupped one paw over himself where her knee had clipped him. “You stay away from my fox you shameless SLUT or I will kick you’re A-” 

Roxie turned and screamed before she ran to her car and Nick grabbed Judy again. “Carrots. Judy. HOPPS!” She froze looking at him as he held her tight enough she couldn’t move again. “Stop. Please. I am begging you. I can’t take any more today.” She watched his eyes water over and dropped hers to his collar.

“I’m sorry.” One hiccup was all it took for her to bury her face in his neck and he wrapped his arms around her trying not to groan as she fell apart. 

“It’s alright. You didn’t know.” Why the hell he was comforting her when she had just managed to… he looked off and blinked as he finally stuck things together. “Only good for getting your rocks off and you called her a disposable dildo- Oh my gods.” He was laughing so hard he was in tears as he helped her get into her seat again. Judy looked at him curiously as he fell over the steering wheel cackling. “Oh, Gods that was worth everything!” He tilted his head looking at her and she smiled slowly as he kept hissing.

“I made you laugh. I made you happy?”

“Yes, yes you did.” He sat up still chuckling and stepped into the clutch, looking back at her as he heard an odd sound. “Carrots?” a glance to the side and he tilted in the seat facing her as she made an odd face. One lurch forward and he was wearing what had been in her stomach just before she went limp in the seat. He clutched his ears and let his head fall back groaning. “AWWW, FUCK!”


	6. Backwoods Notions

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> unexpected reactions

Hedley; Beautiful Girl*

Nick yanked paper towels from the dispenser and dried his paws all the way to his elbows before tossing them in the trash can. He glanced back at the car and grumbled as he pulled his phone from his back pocket. His shirt hung from a hook meant to hold car mats and was dripping as he dialed the dentist’s office again. In all the excitement trying to get Judy out of the office and put as much space between him and his ex he could manage, he had failed to pay the bill. When Roxie had left him, he never found out where she had gotten a job and it wasn’t even a thought when he made the appointment. On top of that, he really didn’t want to go back to the hospital again and needed to apologize to Manches himself. He was stuck on hold for a few minutes after insisting on speaking with an old friend that the receptionist knew little about prior to him starting his own business. The only reason she had agreed to get him on the line was because even she was surprised about the bill not being taken care of.

Nick’s ears tipped as he paced back and forth in front of his car, peeking over the hood at the bunny who was out cold in the front seat. “Nick?” The fox sighed and sat on the hood as Manches’ voice purred through the line.

“Mr. Manches. I didn’t get to take care of that bill before I left and wanted to appo-

He stopped cold as the cat started chuckling and sat up straight when it hit him that the large feline was in an unusually good mood considering what had just happened in his office. “I should be thanking you and your girlfriend.” 

“She’s n- Nick looked back at the windshield and was cut off again as Manches laughed. 

“I wish I could see your face right now because I bet you’ve got that stupefied look like the day your mother told you they were a thing.”

Nick rolled his eyes and shook his head. “Anyway, I’ll bring it by as soon as I get the time. I have the money, but I have my paws full at the moment.”

Manches laughed again and Nick stood up and moved around the car, looking in the window at her as his ears pinned back. “Yeah, she looked like a pawfull. I know you’re good for it, just bring it in the next time you’re on this side of town. I think we can work out something better than full price considering the potential headaches you both just saved me.”

Nick cocked his head and stuck his arm on the top of the car still looking in the window. “Potential headaches?”

“Oh, you have no idea what all that mess could have cost me, Nick. If just one of those girls had said something against that hare, or one patient made a claim about harassment against him; there’s a good chance it would have cost me more than I‘d make in a lifetime with the lawsuits. There’s a reason most places don’t allow relationships between people who work together.”

“Yeah.” Nick nodded as he leaned lower, looking her over again as he shook his head. “She got sick right after we left and passed out. Do I need to take her back to the hospital?”

“As long as she’s still breathing, I doubt it, unless there is something unusual about her or she has preexisting health problems, but I didn’t see anything in her chart.”

“That depends on what you mean by unusual.” Nick shot as he stood leaning against the car again. “And you wouldn’t have seen much in her chart since I filled it out. The only thing I really know about her is what Doctor Plains told me right after it happened. Something about a predator in her families past lineage.”

“She’s an Anterior Rabbit?”

Nick scratched his head as he looked back through the window. “A what? And how do you know about that? I didn’t notice anything odd about her except her ears.”

Manches laughed. “That explains why she was acting like that with you. I didn’t even see her ears. Dentists have to go to both kinds of schools and learn about every kind of medicine there is in case there is a problem in the office with a patient. An Anterior Rabbit is pretty rare. Crossbreed with another species, almost always a predator that’s within three or four sizes of the species. They call them Anterior’s because of what happens to the predator part of them in the bloodline over time.”

“You mind me asking exactly what that is, what happens to it anyway?” Nick asked as he turned looking at her again.

“Oh, a lot of crossbreeds will lose certain traits or abilities from one side or the other and be a little bit of a mash between how the parents look. It’s wasn’t really accepted in the rabbit community back in the day and they usually tried to breed it out because the offspring of a rabbit and a predator has higher instincts and capabilities than other species. They are pushed to the front of everything and take over in a way. So much so that its almost unnatural. People think it’s spooky or it just weirds them out. The few case studies there have been highlighted how they tend to avoid getting too close to others. Their sense of smell and hearing is better than wolves and elephants combined. They’re sensitive to chemical changes in other mammals that are caused by mood changes and medical problems or biochemical balances in the blood most blood tests still can’t identify. It’s really a bit of a shame because they could be really useful in the medical field if they weren’t so rare. Any help?”

“Yeah.” Nick said as he glanced at her again. “Hey Manches, what did you mean by how she was acting with me?”

Nick’s ears perked as the cat laughed again. “They’re usually most attracted to the species that is the one their predator ancestry sprung from. I’d say she has some fox in her. Because foxes and rabbits are both so sensitive to chemicals and any kind of trauma, I’d wage money on her being out for a few hours. Nick?”

“Yeah?”

“It only takes a few hours or days for a vixen to choose who she wants as a life mate. She might wait months for the tod until he’s ready for a tether, but imagine that being amplified by ten thousand for the ‘bunny’ with you.” Nick grabbed his neck and closed his eyes. “Both species choose a life mate. I’d say she probably already knew it was you with the way she was trying to get at your ex. Good luck.”

Nick’s eyes snapped back to her as he blinked a few times. “Thanks, Manches.” He hung up and grabbed his shirt, ringing it out before getting back in the car. He almost tossed it into the back seat until he noticed she had a small mess on her face. He rubbed it away from her cheek with his damp shirt and her head rolled as he moved his paw the other way. He looked out the window and watched the car that had been in the next stall pull away before he leaned over and dipped his nose to her neck. One deep breath of her scent was all it took for him to close his eyes and shake his head as he shot up in the seat backing away from her. She asked if she could tether me and I said yes. Tag- He rubbed his temple and shook his head. If she grew up with bunnies how the hell would she know about that and why call it something that sounded like a kits game? Doesn’t matter because she wasn’t in her right mind when she did that!

He jolted as his phone rang and was grumbling as he shot his hips forward trying to wrestle it out of his back pocket. “Hello?” His eyes ticked around before he sighed and shook his head. “No, I’m not going to make it back for the second half of the day Albert. I’m sure he is but I can’t help it. I have my paws full. No, I don’t want to explain it to you so you can explain it to him. Fangmeyer might drive him crazy but it’s not going to kill him, and neither is the way she smells…. Lunch? He wants a what?” He looked over at Judy again and rolled his eyes. “Yeah, I can bring it by and drop it off for him. No, tell him the next time he needs something like that, he’s my work wife and not the other way around.” His head shot back as he laughed, and he hung up before he pulled away still grinning. He stopped at a familiar franchise and grabbed a few things through the drive through before parking outside the precinct and looking back at her chewing his lip. I’m just dropping it off, I’ll only be gone for a second. I’ll be right back… “Please don’t get into any more trouble while I’m gone, Carrots.” He grabbed the bag and ran up the stairs after closing his door. The elephant behind the desk was arguing with a brown bunny doe who was waving her arms around as Nick tossed the bag over the desk and turned.

“We know she was brought in! It was flagged. Look again. Judy Hopps. Who arrested her!?” 

“Look, I don’t have any record of a Judy Hopps in the system. So, there was a mistake, or she was let go and cleared of the charges by one of the officers handling the case!”

Nick’s shoulders scrunched into his neck as the bunny beside him narrowed her eyes and Albert had missed him until he spotted the bag from Bugga Burger on the desk.

“You?! It was you that arrested her wasn’t it? FOR WHAT?” 

Nick turned and sighed. “What’s your name, Darlin?”

“Cassidy Hopps. She’s my sister. She ran away and has been listed as a missing person for five years! We just want to know if she is alright.”

Albert tipped over the desk as Nick stuck his paws on his hips. “Ran away? She was arrested for stealing.”

“MY SISTER IS NOT A THIEF!”

“Well that’s what she was arrested for. I let her go, I’m sure if she wanted you to know where she was, she would do something most mammals are aware of and pick up a phone.” The doe scowled at him as her ears twitched. “That means things must not have been really great at home if she was hungry enough to be stealing, and not call asking for help when she knew there was a possibility she would be branded a thief. She isn’t here anymore so you should hop along Cassidy.” The doe’s eyes opened as Nick started to turn and he was blindsided by a fist that slammed him to the floor. Two officers grabbed around thick arms and even though they were both wolves, they were getting a good run for their money. Nick rolled over trying to work his jaw as Cassidy started screaming.

“GIDEON, STOP!”

“You don’t be talking bout Ms. Judy like that! She’s no thief!” he was growling as his bangs shifted back and forth each time he tried to grapple his feet against the floor trying to get closer to the smaller fox.

Gideon? Nick looked up at the stalky fox and stood up rubbing his jaw as they managed to get him on the ground. “Let him go guys.”

“No. We will not be letting him go after he just assaulted an officer, Wilde.” Nick cringed as he turned slowly and found Bogo standing behind him with his biceps folded over his chest.

“Sir, I-

“I don’t care. Take him to holding and charge him. Wilde, you aren’t on the clock so get out of my station.” 

Nick nodded before he was rushing out the doors, listening to the doe telling the larger fox she would get him out. He slid into his car and sighed seeing her still there in the passenger seat. “You are the biggest pain in the tail I have ever dealt with and absolutely…..” he reached over and moved one of her ears off her face, gasping as she grabbed his paw and curled around it pulling him closer. “…breathtaking.” He shook himself as he pulled away from her and started the car. A trek up the stairs with her in his arms again and he was chuckling as he opened his door because of the odd noises she was making. He hadn’t locked the door when he left and absently wondered why he ever bothered because there was nothing there to steal. He laid her on the mattress, pulling his arms away from her and uncurling her fingers from his undershirt. The first thought was the ache in his jaw, so he grabbed a bag of frozen vegetables from the freezer and looked at them laughing. “Carrots.” He chuckled sticking them to his jaw and shook his head. “Odd, that seems to be the only thing making any of me feel better lately.”

His head twisted as she turned, and he curled his brow as he walked around the other side of the room. “Carrots.” He laughed as she rolled over and moved with him each time she heard his voice. “I guess you imprint on sound because of those ears and being mostly bunny. But you do…. imprint……”

He took a seat folding his knees out and watched her as the chill soothed his throbbing jaw and looked around the empty apartment. “You really don’t want to get involved with me…do you? I don’t have anything to offer you.” She scrunched her nose making a sour face and he leaned over running his thumb along her nose, smiling as she settled again. Her breaths became long and deep as he watched her and lowered his brow.

“HOOMF!” He looked down with wide eyes after she grabbed his shirt and pulled him closer as her nose wiggled. One hip jumped as he moved a little closer, raising his brows and slamming his eyes shut as her nose rooted around the fur under his chin. 

“You smell….” She mumbled.

Nick sighed as he closed his eyes. So much for wishful thinking….

“...like heaven, and hope.” She fell still again as he snapped his head down looking at her with his mouth hanging open. A small smile stayed on his lips as he rested his head in one paw, leaning into his arm as she pulled him closer, until he was on the mattress with her. The tingling of his arms forced the position change he took as he nodded off. The scent of wet earth and skies heavy with the threat of pending rain stayed in his nose……

Wolford parked his car and looked up at the window of Nick’s apartment shaking his head. After hearing about another fox who had decked him who was with a bunny and the name Hopps jumping out again- A growl was all he could manage to think after seeing Nick’s car parked in its usual spot. He went up the stairs and looked at his partners door before he was marching that way. His lip curled as he lifted a fist to knock. When the door swung open, he let his jaw drop as he looked around the corner and spotted a ball of red fur wrapped around yellow and gray. The wolf growled as he took a stance at the end of the mattress. Nick’s ears flicked back and forth as he looked up yawning. Wolford stood there with his teeth showing and arms crossed over his chest before Nick unwound a sleeping bunny from around him and stood up trying to shoo him out the door.

“HAVE YOU LOST YOUR MIND!” Wolford whisper screamed as Nick pulled him behind the little wall that separated the room.

“What do you want from me, Fort! You were pissed off because I threw her in jail, now you’re pissed off because I’m helping her!’

Wolford bared his teeth as Nick threw his arms out. “I want you to do something fucking sane! Why the hell do you have to be on one side of the fence or the other!? Why can’t you find some semblance of balance in the middle like everyone else and stop in a place where you aren’t trying to kill someone or give away everything you have when you know it can kill you! You have to get rid of her!”

“I can’t!”

Wolford smirked as he held up a finger. “I can do that for you!”

“No, no- you can’t. Not after what happened today, Fort.” 

The wolf fell forward cupping his head and looked back at Nick waving a paw. “Ok, explain it to me, I mean the part where you weren’t getting knocked on your ass by her other boyfriend. Who is also a fox. A very big fox Nick, who kicked your ass I might add.”

Nick rubbed his neck nervously as Wolford’s face fell. He grabbed his paws and Nick almost yelped as he jerked his head to one side and looked through the fur on his neck. The wolf slapped both paws to his face groaning after seeing the faint teeth marks left in his skin. “She claimed you?! You let her?”

Nick shrugged and looked at his watch. “What are you doing here this early anyway? Lunch was less than an hour ago.” He snickered as Wolford glared at him. “You took off just to come check on me? And that’s why you’re the wife, Fort. By the way, I’ve been cheating on you with her and I want a divorce.”

Wolford rolled his eyes to the ceiling and Nick was snickering silently. He curled his lips trying not to smile as he kicked Nick in the ass. “Gods you’re a bitch you know that, Nick?”

Nick nodded as he laughed silently and caught his footing as he was shoved from behind the wall. “And you still love me anyway. Damn its funny how that works isn’t it? Want a kiss since you’re all butt hurt I found another girl? You’re only mad because she’s younger and prettier than you are.”

Wolford shoved the fox away again after Nick puckered his lips. “Jesus it’s no wonder no one can stay pissed at you. Get away from me, you ass hole. If you want a kiss, go get one from her. Might as well have fun if you’re hell bent on letting a bunny kill you.” 

“This one’s different.”

“Ah hu. I think I heard you say that a time or two before. But go ahead. Persuade me to your side of the crazy.”

“Watch this.” Nick held up a finger and walked around the room humming as Wolford cocked his head to the side watching Judy roll each time he moved to another area. 

“Is she flowing your…”

Nick smirked as he nodded. “And she can smell better than you can.”

“I don’t buy it.” Wolford barked as he moved closer and leaned into his knees looking at her. “Maybe she smells better than I do, but there is no way a rabbit can smell things better than a wolf can. Why isn’t she reacting to my scent or my voice if she can do that?”

“Because you aren’t me.”

“Oh boy. Getting a little thick in here, Nick.” Wolford hissed as he stood up shaking his head. “This worries me more than the other one did. You didn’t claim her so maybe this won’t end up with you being-

“Fort, she’s not a bunny. She’s an Anterior Rabbit.” 

The wolf looked at him shaking his head and Nick explained as much as he could remember. Wolford was scratching his head and groaned as he went back to the door. “If rabbits and foxes both mate for life what the hell was the deal with the other one?” He asked as Nick shook his head.

“A choice, I guess. It’s not much different for foxes. One life mate doesn’t mean we can’t have other partners before we meet the right one. Just because we have life mates doesn’t mean we can’t shop around first. If it’s not a two-way decision it doesn’t work and there is no connection made so we can find someone else.”

Wolford sighed as he looked back and shook his head. “Is this about your mother? Some kind of thing trying to prove her right or live up to what she did with B-

“Fort.” Nick growled and the wolf dipped his ears back nodding.

“Got it. You’re already vested. Just don’t let her…” He sighed as Nick smiled, watching Judy stir. “I’ll leave you to your company then. I’ll see you in the morning, Nick.” 

He closed Nick’s door and stopped at his, looking back and shaking his head. “Don’t kill him rabbit. I really don’t want to lose another partner.”

Nick sat on the mattress, leaning over watching her nose twitch and smiled as her eyes cracked, slowly opening on him as they continued to grow. “Hi, Carrots.” She jumped squeaking and was against the wall as he jumped with her. She looked up at him like a deer in headlights as he smirked and leaned one paw into the wall leaning towards her. “Oohh that’s cute.” He was laughing as he tried to wrap his arms around her when she darted under him squeaking.

“Y-You aren’t supposed to use that word around bunnies!” She whimpered as he moved closer.

“Why not? You’ve been calling me sexy fox since we left the hospital.” He smirked as her jaw fell and stepped closer watching her eyes dart to his tail. “And after what you did at the dentist’s office, I’d say that’s mild in comparison.”

“What…what did I do?”

Nick shrugged as he leaned over again and shied his eyes as she gulped. “Tried to kill my ex and told a couple of dozen mammals I was yours. I guess I smell like hope, and you said my tail was lost and yours because you found it. So…. why so shy now when you have been hanging on me so much, I can’t smell anything but you anymore? Unusual for a bunny to be shy. But you aren’t just anybunny, are you, Carrots?’

She searched the vague memories and cringed. “I’m…S-S- ugh…”

Nick smiled wider as she started breathing faster and tipped his head to one side as her nose flared. She closed her eyes shaking her head and backed along the wall trying to get away from him, but he stayed with her every step of the way.

“You know I’ve been around rabbits from time to time, lived with one for a couple of years, but I’ve never seen one react to a fox’s scent the way you do. Almost like…another fox.” Her eyes snapped open on him as he chuckled. “I can help you with that problem I’m causing you know. You helped me, let me help you. She almost loved me to death. I have a feeling you might love me back to life.” Judy jumped as his paw ran along her cheek and closed her eyes pulling in his scent as her head tilted to his fur.

“NO!”

He blinked as she shot under his arm and out the window onto the fire escape. This time the fire rolling through his blood wasn’t caused by anger that should have been aimed at someone else as he jumped after her laughing. “YOU TETHERED ME!” He jumped from one flight landing to the next after her. She looked up ready to jump again as he grabbed the rail and rethought his words. “TAGGED! YOU TAGGED ME!”

Judy froze as she was about to throw her legs over another rail. Nick fell from a higher point, landing behind her and watched her shoulders scrunch up before she sighed. Her ears fell as his brow dropped. “I don’t want to hurt you.”

He stepped closer as she kept her back to him, her paws still gripping opposite corners of the safety rail. “Then you should stay. Because it might kill me if you leave.”

“Please don’t come any closer. You can’t be that attached to me, we just me-” When she looked over her shoulder and found him smiling as his eyes twinkled, she turned back around and sucked in another breath that had his face falling when her shoulders bounced a few times.

“Carrots. If you think you have to leave at least let me give you my coat.”

She almost laughed as she shook her head. “Is it clean? I mean have you worn it since the last time it was washed.”

“It’s clean and I’ve worn it. But I don’t see how it smelling like me would bothe- he tipped his head as she laughed and sniffled. “The way I smell bothers you that much?” A small nod and he tipped his head the other way as he stuck both paws on his hips smiling. “Then why not take it? Why does it bother you that much if you know you don’t want to stay? I can get your other co…. The name in your coat. His coat. Gideon?” The doe fell forward, and his ears pinned back as he sighed. “You love him.”

“I will love him until the day I die.”

Nick took a seat on the metal stairs behind him and shook his head. “That’s why you won’t stay? He’s your mate.”

Judy laughed as she ran a paw along her nose and shook her head. “No. He is my friend. We just shared a moment that’s all. I took something from him and its complicated.”

“He was looking for you earlier.” Judy turned so fast that he leaned back shaking his head. “I didn’t tell him where you were. But whatever it is, maybe you should give it back. If that’s the reason you won’t stay anywhere long, maybe you should get rid of it.”

Judy turned shaking her head. “I don’t belong in your world, or anyone else’s. It’s not something anyone in their right mind would want.” Judy sighed as Nick stood again.

“Then why are you keeping it? It’s the same world Carrots. There isn’t any reason we can’t share it. If you don’t want to be part of this world, maybe we could make one of our own. Just for us.” The fox dipped his head and smiled as she fought not to look back at him. “You’re thinking about it anyway?”

“I will scare you and I don’t want to hurt you. I’m cursed and can never be with anyone.”

He chuckled as he grabbed a metal stair above him. “Curses aren’t real. They have no power unless you give it to them in your own head. Not much gets to me either. Give it your best shot though. Scare me.”

Judy turned wiping the tears off her face as he held her gaze. “You’re thirty years old.” He nodded and shrugged like it was common knowledge. He watched her curiously as she stepped closer and closed her eyes, leaning closer as she pulled in a deep breath of air in front of him. The doe shook her head as she stepped back like she was trying to regain her balance, and her eyes snapped on him again. “Both your parents are gone. Your father died when you were eleven or twelve. Your mother died about three years ago.” 

Nick turned his head and dropped his eyes. “Not difficult to guess certain things or come close to the ages it happened, Carrots. I’m still waiting to be scared.”

“You met your last girlfriend within a few months of your mother’s death. There were others before her but only two you were…” Nick raised both brows as she turned her head. “A vixen when you were…around twenty. And you dated a wolf, no…” She closed her eyes and his jaw fell as she pulled in another breath. “A painted dog a few years later.” She opened her eyes and found him giving her an uncomfortable look as her ears fell.

“How can you- you can smell if someone just touches someone else? How did you know they were the only ones I…?

Judy sighed as she turned again. “Not if they just touch you. Only if you have been with them in a way that stays with you and I’m close enough to work it out. Scents come in layers. I can smell every time something has broken your heart like I’m reading a book. The way you feel when something like that happens stays with you and you carry it for the rest of your life. I can smell the physical things too. You cut your paw open last week. I can smell the new skin growing like it’s a plastic band aid to someone else’s nose.” Nick pulled his paw up to his chest rubbing his fingers as he shook his head. “You smell like cheap soap from a car wash and there is swelling in your jaw on the left side.”

“If that’s all you can smell about me, why do I …why am I-

“Why does the scent of you put me in overdrive?” she asked, and he could see her ears tint as she tried to keep them against her back. “Because what I smell under all that is solid. Pain fades but leaves a scent each time it touches someone. It can bury someone in a thick layer of sorrow so strong they get lost in it, but it can’t stop the scent that was there to begin with. I can still smell the tears from when she left you about six months ago. They are all over your apartment. All the sorrow I smell on you still isn’t as overpowering as the truth of you.”

“The truth of me…What is the truth of me?” Nick asked as he stepped closer, trying to keep his breathing in check as he watched her head fall. He tilted his slightly to see her eyes close while she kept pulling in air she was examining. 

“You are honest. Brave. Still willing to try for yourself and help others if they need it, even when so much has beaten you down. When I’m in a crowd of people, I have to choose the scent of someone who smells the strongest there to focus on, so I’m not overwhelmed by so many mammals. It was the ox lady who liked the one she kept arguing with the day you caught me. The first time I smelled you, you were…” 

Nick blinked as her face flushed. He ticked his eyes to her paws and smirked as she clutched the corners of the rail again, remembering her bottom teeth barely brushing over the pad on his finger that sent chills up his arm. She had accidentally turned him on, and he had done the same with the way his body had reacted. He let the smile fade, recalling the surprise on her face, and understanding exactly why he had gotten so angry. Her shoulders slumped as he stepped closer. “A vixen usually knows who she wants just by being around a tod for a few days. I was told that she could tell everything she needed to know just by the way he smelled. If he was healthy, sick, if he was weak or strong, or even if he would be a good father. I’ve always heard it was almost impossible to explain. Is that all you smell?” Judy swallowed as she shook her head. “What else is there, Carrots?”

“It doesn’t matter. I told you I’m cursed. I can’t be with anyone and I don’t want to hurt you.” She started to move again, and he blocked her path as he stepped closer.

“It matters to me. I want to know. It’s just an answer to a simple question. It will at least give me some closure on all of this.” She turned back around and grabbed the corners of the rails. He stayed close and tipped his head to the side as her expression changed. The air had shifted and left him down wind of her letting her whole frame soften.

“A future. One I want and know I can’t have. Now you have your closure.”

It was without a doubt the most impulsive, brazen and rash thing he had ever done as an adult in the way of making a life decision when he jumped. His jaw wrapped around the back of her neck pulling the scruff into his mouth and his eyes closed as his paws wound around the outside of the rails beside hers, locking her into the corner hanging above the front of his building. He couldn’t stand there and do nothing, watch her walk away believing something as foolish as the backwoods notion of a curse was the reason anyone who had eyes wouldn’t love her until the day she died, or that she somehow didn’t deserve to have it in her life. As insane as every moment he had spent with her had been, it was mute compared to her saying he was the future she wanted, and he wasn’t about to watch her disappear and spend the rest of his life wondering - what if. 

Over time, evolution had changed the way a few things had worked. It was a statistical fact that within almost every species on the planet there were always more females than males. A way for nature to ensure the most offspring possible could be born, and that the best were the ones who survived by fighting for breeding rights. Because of that, it was the tod who finalized a tether between a pair and had what was considered the pick of the litter. 

Nick’s head was spinning as he shifted his weight back and forth between both feet, feeling her heart racing through the skin between his teeth. He set in a growl that was waiting for a response he almost had enough thought left to hope she knew about. One action was all it would take for him to know that even if she hadn’t been in her right mind when she had tethered him, he could let go and know even if she ran off again, she wouldn’t go too far from where he was.

Judy’s paws clutched the rails and curled around them as tightly as her eyes wound together. Her head spun as her feet locked in place and the low growl rolling through his chest as her back pressed against him had her breathing so hard, she was panting. The shifts of his weight from foot to foot while he pulled at the scruff on her neck trying to get her to move a certain way caused her to squeak as she pulled at the rails. The fox behind her moved forward with his nostrils flaring as her scent spiked and was chuffing as he struggled not to press his teeth through her skin. The sound he was making radiated between snorts and yips that were randomly tossed between growling. Judy snapped her eyes open as she twisted her waist. Her tail fled over the front of his pants and he loosened his grip just long enough to latch on again, making her roll over the rail with him pressing into her back.

Wolford stuck his head out the window wondering what the hell all the noise was and almost fell. He leaned over watching what looked like a couple getting ready to rut in broad daylight. The wolf jumped and ran down the stairs, rushing out the front door and looking up as Judy opened her eyes. He did a double take and let his jaw hang open as he caught her with glowing red eyes. The thought of losing his mind briefly occurred at what he was seeing anyway. A ringing bell snapped his head back to the apartment buildings door and he watched the ram who ran the building stepping out before he looked around and back up as Nick growled again. 

“MR. CROWELY!” The ram turned his attention to him and away from the scaffolding above them as he rushed back across the street. “Hey! I really need to talk to you about the laundry room. The dryer has been acting up again. I was wondering if you could look at it while you’re here today?”

The ram grumbled as he went back into the building and Wolford slapped a paw to his face as he looked up again. Nick leaned over the rail, grinning like an idiot before he was licking around his muzzle. Wolford looked the same direction the fox was and watched a bunny in a yellow dress running down the middle of the street…….


	7. City Slickers meet Country Bumpkins

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Exes and Ohs

A Teens; Perfect Match*

Wolford curled his lips, fighting not to bare his teeth as Nick leaned into the rail with both arms resting on the metal, his paws hanging over the side as his tail wagged behind him. He was still licking around his lips grinning. He glanced back to the wolf smacking his lips as Wolford shook his head and jarred one pointed finger back to the building. The fox snickered as he shrugged and walked back up the stairs to his window while Wolford made his way back into the building. He had nearly screamed at the fox after seeing what they were doing, but knew it would only draw attention that might get his partner thrown in jail for lewd conduct if anyone else had noticed. Distracting the ram who ran the building was the first priority, because the guy didn’t like Nick anyway. He walked back through the entry way as Mr. Crowely stood outside the laundry room shaking his head. “I’ll have someone come fix it next week. I think the belt broke or the heating element is out, maybe both.” Wolford nodded as the ram turned and stopped, scowling as Nick walked past them in the hall. “Is that your mess in the laundry room, fox?” He asked and Nick looked back into the room, nodding slowly as he spotted the jacket Judy had been wearing and her clothes hanging above the table. There was no reason to tell the ram Mrs. Beesly had left them there and cause her problems or try to explain why she was washing….eh just too complicated. He thought as the ram scowled at him. “No one is supposed to leave personal items unattended and you know that. It’s in your lease. I’m not responsible for things that get lost or stolen in this building.”

Wolford sucked in a breath shaking his head as Nick nodded and stepped past both of them. “Sorry Mr. Crowely. It won’t happen again.” He grabbed the items and looked over her clothes seeing the holes and wear in the shirt and jeans before wrapping them in the dark jacket and walking past them out the front door again.

Wolford waited until the ram had taken his eyes off the fox before he rushed after him. “Hey!” Nick turned with a tipped brow as his partner stuck both paws on his hips. “What the hell was that!? And where are you going now?!” he asked pointing back to the fire escape and Nick shrugged as he stuffed the material he was holding under his arm.

“I need to get her jacket back to her. It’s still a little cold out here and her fur isn’t as thick as ours.”

Wolford sighed and zipped his lip as Mr. Crowely stepped out and looked between them. The ram looked up and scowled as he shook his head. “Great. One more thing I have to fix.” He grumbled as he shook his head. “I knew I shouldn’t have rented to cops.”

Nick and Wolford looked up as the ram threw his arms out grousing about spending more money he didn’t have. Two police officers in the building meant there were some regulations not even a slumlord could get by without repairing, and a damaged fire escape was something the city could fine him more for than all the rent he could collect in a year. The wolf stepped behind Nick and raised both brows looking at the railing around the fire escape where Nick and Judy had been standing and ticked his eyes back to Nick shaking his head. “How did that happen?” Nick shook his head, looking at the rail where they had been standing. Both sides they had been clinging to where Judy’s paws had been were twisted into a tangled mess of metal that looked as if it were close to breaking away from the rest of stairs. Wolford rubbed his head as Nick looked back at him. “I need a drink.”

Nick chuckled as he turned around and started walking the direction Judy had run off in. “Tell Spicy I said hello.” He walked away whistling.

Wolford rolled his eyes as he grabbed the door on his car, but stopped dead in his tracks as one side of his cheek ticked up…Did he just call Ginger, Spicy? He turned grinning as he watched Nick rushing down the street.

Finnick stuck his nose in the air sniffing as he turned and jumped as a flash of wind rustled through the alley and left newspapers and discarded trash flying the same direction. He smirked and chuckled as he walked around the corner between the two brick buildings and raised both brows as a snarl straightened his ears. His eyes narrowed and he was cupping both paws over his knees as he tipped his head, smiling as a pair of glowing red eyes blinked at him from the dark corner behind a dumpster large enough for the whole building. “DAAAAMN GUURL! YOU BETTER GET A GRIP ON THAT BEAST!” A snarl had him laughing and he jumped as the dumpster flew across the alley and slammed into the building. “HO DAMN!” He screamed as he jumped and looked up blinking as a huge section of the bricks crumbled and fell into the street next to his van. He growled as he looked back and shook his head with a sharp frown. “Well aint you the definition of a hot mess?” He nodded as he reached into his pocket and pulled out a vial he opened and squeezed a large dollop of it in his palms before rubbing into his paws. “You’re gonna have to tell me your name or this is gonna get real weird, rabbit!” The low growl still aimed at him grew a little louder as he spit in each paw and jumped. 

Nick looked around shaking his head because he couldn’t find her anywhere. He clutched the clothes he had stuck under his arm and his ears tipped as he frowned. He could hear a loud banging he couldn’t identify the reason for, but he couldn’t pinpoint where she had gone because he couldn’t get her scent out of his nose. It smelled as if she was standing right under him, but when he heard Finnick screaming, he jolted and started running. 

“JUDY!” Finnick screamed as he jumped the other way, barely avoiding her claws as she swiped at him. He stuck his nose in the air and sniffed as her head turned. “He’s comin. You want him to see ya like this?” The glowing eyes that were pointed the other direction fled back to the small fox as she shrank into the darkness again. “Hold still. Give me your nose and I’ll hide ya from him.” She growled and backed away as Finnick shook his head. “We aint got time for trust issues. You either do or ya don’t. Nose- now!”

Nick ran down the alley and heard slamming doors as he spotted Finnick’s van. His lip curled up as he rushed that way in a silent snarl. Finnick closed the back doors and held his bat as he walked around the bumper. Nick grabbed the handle on the front door and tried to pull it open, but it was locked. When the end of the bat touched his arm, he grabbed it growling. Finnick dropped it as the larger fox picked him up and slammed him into the side of the van. “Where is she! I heard you say her name!”

Finnick glared at him and snapped, barely missing catching Nick’s cheek between his teeth. Nick dropped him and blinked. He looked up as the red fox stared at him stunned. “You do that again and next time I won’t miss.”

“I should arrest you right now for attacking a police officer!”

“Go ahead. I’d love to see ya try to explain tryin to search my van without a warrant.” Finnick growled as they stayed in a silent glare. “You might get by with everybody else Nick, but you and I aint friends, and I aint pullin no damn stops with you just cause everybody else likes ya.”  
Nick growled as he looked back to the van. “Yeah, and you don’t do anything for anyone without wanting something in return. If even one strand of her fur is out of place…So, help me Gods Finnick, I will find you and-

“You’ll do what?” He cocked his head to the side in an evil smile as Nick bit his tongue glaring at him. “Go ahead, threaten me and see how far that gets ya. Get the fuck outta here! Go have a gods damned beer with all them cops you love to death. You know I ain’t gonna do anything to her and ya seen what she could do yesterday! If you can’t handle her how the hell can I? I’m two fuckin feet tall! If she didn’t want to be here, she wouldn’t be here. She’s scared- she just wanted to hide somewhere.”

Nick looked back at the van and chewed his lip as he covered his teeth. “I scared her?” 

“No, she scared herself. I’d think since ya been with a rabbit before you’d know how they are when they get scared. They like to be in dark places where they can make themselves feel smaller and hide. She’s afraid she’s gonna hurt you.”

Nick had a stupid grin on his face as he leaned towards the van. “She’s really worried about hurting me?” 

Finnick rolled his eyes as he grabbed the door handle, flipping the lock and opening it before he slid into the seat. “She’ll come back to ya when she’s ready. She knows where to find ya at.” Nick cringed as the van started and stepped closer, snapping his ears up as Finnick growled a low territorial warning. The red fox nearly returned it before Finnick sighed. “Back away from my van, Nick. I aint warning ya cause of her. Get your damn nose checked. Anybody that has one already knows there’s somethin more going on between you two than a simple attraction.”

Nick’s ears flipped up as he sniffed but he still couldn’t smell anything but her. “Fine,” He sighed as he stepped back and stuck his paw on his hips. “I just want to know she’s alright before I leave. Is she alright?”

Finnick looked into the back of the van and groaned. “Judy, say somethin.”

“Something.” She said.

Nick chuckled as his ears shot forward. He pulled his keys from his pocket and rolled the ring around his finger, handing one key to Finnick with her clothes as the smaller fox lifted a brow. “Come home, Carrots.” He tilted slightly as he caught the tips of her ears spring up behind Finnick’s seat. “Are you going to be long?” 

Finnick looked in the back of the van and she sighed as he threw her clothes in the passenger seat and handed her the key. “She’ll be around soon enough. But it’ll be a lot later. After dark. Go kill some time or somethin.” Nick left almost bouncing and Finnick tipped his nose back towards the back of the van. 

“You got a real problem I’d love to have. I can help ya get rid of it.”

“No.” Judy growled as he sighed and shook his head, smirking as her claws wound around the side of his seat. “Why do you want it anyway? And why did you have that stuff in your pocket?”

“I’m almost fifty years old. I have it because I’m old. The same reason I want what you got. It’s menthol, some chemicals they use to stick in their noses when they find a body that’s been sittin for a while and Eucalyptus.” He shot her an evil grin as her red eyes peeked from under her claws. 

“That doesn’t make any sense.”

“LOOK AT ME! I’M TWO FEET TALL! IF I HAD WHAT YOU HAVE, I’D BE WHAT I ALREADY AM!” He looked in the mirror watching her eyes glowing and shook his head.

“What you already are?” She asked watching him chuckle as he bounced in his seat.

“Say it and I’ll give you the tube and make more. You know you’re gonna have to take care of him within the next twenty-four hours. You wait more than forty-eight and it’s on you.” Judy whined as she shook her head. 

“You’re a Horny Little Devil?” She asked as she pulled both ears over her face.

Finnick’s head shot back laughing as he rolled in the seat. “HAHAHAHA! EXACTLY!” He tossed the tube over the seat and looked back out the window still chuckling. “That should keep his scent from driving you into it.”

“What am I going to do?”

He tipped his paw behind him and chuckled as glowing red eyes peered from behind the passenger seat after she moved. “Do what ya gotta do. Ya don’t want to give it to me, so the only other option ya got is to learn how to control it. You’re gonna have to ease into that. But for him, it aint gonna be that easy. You gotta get him to see that its real and take care of him at the same time.”

“How do I do that?!” She whined and he snickered.

Finnick jumped as she shot forward at him growling. “WHOA! Ya keep that up and I aint gonna help ya at all!” He smirked as she shrank back again. “You’re used to not bein with anybody. It aint gonna work that way for him since ya done rebunted it.”

“I didn’t have a choice it just…happened!”

“Like that thing on ya just happened? It don’t just happen, and ya know it. Let me get a better look at ya.” She turned and shook her head as he groaned. “Get your ears out of your face and let me see your paws or get the hell outta my van!”

Judy’s shifted and he narrowed his eyes as glowing red eyes set on him. Her ears stayed folded over the lower half of her face below her cheeks and her paws were buried under her arms as Finnick growled. “I’m ugly!”

“You’re gonna be a lot uglier after I kick your ass outta here and let someone find ya lookin like that! This is show and tell and I’m the damn teacher! Show so I can tell ya how to take care of it!”

Judy let her legs fall and fold under her as Finnick watched her pull her paws from under her arms. Her ears slowly lifted, and he looked her over nodding. “Manageable. This the worst it’s ever been?” She nodded as he rubbed his chin. “Its gonna get worse if he’s the only one ya let get that close after it happened. What’s your mom and dad look like?” Judy shook her head as Finnick deadpanned her. “Just get em in your head. Got a good picture?” A small nod and he chuckled as he looked off to an invisible corner. “Imagine your dad has your mom folded over the couch in ……”

“EWWW!”

“HAHAHA! Ya want that problem to go away ya better think about the least appealing thing on the planet and for most people that does it. But if that aint enough, let’s say it’s your grandparents and they’re ramming against a pair of walkers in the…...”

“EEEEEEEEWWWW!”

“HAHAHAHHAA! Let me see your face again.” She leaned out of the shadows and his teeth split as her eyes fell to her jaw. The red glow had dimmed, and her eyes were looking darker as he nodded again. “Keep that line a thought cause it’s workin. Now, does he get ya cause of how he looks or just how he smells?”

Judy turned her head and he lifted a brow as her nose flared. “A bit a both but I’d say it’s more his scent?” She closed her eyes and his ears shot up as she growled. “There’s an orgy in the old folk’s home and your parents are on their way to have some fun with the rest of them old people floppin around the place.”

“OH - THAT IS SO NAAAASTY! Ugh you dirty old fox.”

“I am. Yeah and can you just imagine all those old folks and that flab hangin off their guts while they keep tryin to m-”

“HRK-”

“HAHAHAAHA! Damn I wish I could record this cause I’m gonna be laughin every time this pops into my head. Speakin a pops, all those old shlongs poppin and the noises from-”

“I’m going to puke!” Judy groaned as Finnick stepped closer and grabbed her other wrist as she covered her mouth. 

“You got a good imagination don’t cha? Look at that.” She looked up and he smirked as her fingers curled open. “AH- hey hey- Ok ok. Don’t be getting all bunny like on me cause I aint into cuddle fest crap.” He pulled away grinning as she unwound her arms from around him. “Now, about takin care of him…. Is there anything that makes being around him possible that doesn’t turn you?”

She looked off and cringed as he tilted his head. “Nothing I want to use.”

“What ya want is irrelevant until ya get this under control. Ya better use everything at your disposal unless ya want to wake up and find half of him eaten the next morning because that is a possibility. What was it?”

Judy sighed as she let her head fall. “The pills that I had to take after I broke my tooth. They seem to kill it, but I sort of don’t have a brain with them either.”

“Well if they kill your libido, not havin a brain aint a bad thing under the circumstances. I aint sayin I advocate for drugs, cause I don’t. Aint never a good thing to resort to for the wrong reason but this would definitely be considered a medical emergency. You got a problem seein a doctor and maybe showin someone else what happens? They aint gonna understand what it is but they will see it’s a problem they might be willin to help with. Might even be able to help ya find a balance between brainless and libido.” 

Judy sighed as she slowly nodded. “I don’t want to hurt him.”

“Yeah I aint too keen on that happenin either. He’s nothin but a pain in my tail constantly trying to get me to be…civilized and shit. Don’t mean I want him hurt. Until then, that tube of stuff will help you take care of what he needs. I can make more but that’ll take me some time. Breath through your mouth as much as you can and use it as much as ya need to.”

“Why are you helping me? I heard what he said.”

Finnick shrugged. “He wasn’t lyin. Maybe I can change your mind. I want what you got. Ya could save us both a bunch of problems if you just gave it to me.”

“Nobody in their right mind would want to be like this!”

“Who said I was in my right mind?” Finnick barked as his head flew back laughing. “Ya know if ya can figure out how to control that, ya don’t have to look like this when it happens?” Judy’s ears shot up as he chuckled. “It is what ya make it. Shit…” he grumbled as he opened the door. “Almost forgot my bat. We aint goin anywhere for a while, least not until all you got flared is back to normal. I got some questions and might be able to tell you about some things that’ll keep that at bay.” He hopped out and grabbed his bat and Judy tilted her head as he tossed it on the floor in front of the passenger seat.

“How can I trust you knowing you want a curse?”

Finnick folded his arms over his chest and curled his lips up. “What other choice have ya got?”

“You’re right.” she growled as he smirked. “But I don’t know what you think you could to get out of this.”

Finnick tilted his head to one side and grabbed the clothes Nick had given them before tossing them at her. “Change your clothes. That dress won’t last long with you shifting back and forth and ya know it.” She narrowed her eyes on him as his smile grew. “Did ya not understand me telling ya I’m fifty years old…shouldn’t be too hard to figure out why someone my age wants that.”

“Fine.” She growled and he chuckled as she unfolded everything. 

“Let’s call it tit for tat or you scratch my back and I’ll scratch yours.”

“If you touch me, I will turn you into-

“Dead meat? I already got that problem so ya aint got nothin to worry about.” Finnick growled as she rolled her eyes. “How’d you get that and who put it on ya anyway?” She pulled the dress over her head and he rolled his eyes as he looked out the window. “Might as well get used to chattin with me if ya want my help. It aint like I can’t find somethin better to do. You tell or I’ll show.” Finnick smirked as he looked at the back doors. “I aint gotta hide you in here and company aint something I have much of, but that don’t mean I don’t like it. Been in this van by myself for more years than I can count.” 

Judy sighed as he leaned over, and he looked beside the seat as she stuffed her legs into her jeans. He wasn’t paying much attention to her as she threw her shirt on and pulled the jacket over her shoulders, stuffing the key into her coat pocket. She groaned and sat looking at her claws as they continued to shrink. “It was my grandmother. The first guy I really had a crush on was a big sweetheart. Kits are stupid and pick on the person they like the most.” Finnick chuckled as she brushed a paw over her cheek. “He was my high school sweetheart. We went to prom together and Granny caught us on the porch kissing that night. She threw it at him, and I jumped in front of him so he wouldn’t get it.”

Finnick lifted a brow and tilted his head looking back at her. “It really was an accident then?”

“Yes.” Judy huffed as she smiled.

“Musta liked him a lot if ya knew what she was doin.”

“I did. I couldn’t stay for very long after it happened. I was afraid I was going to hurt someone, so I left and have tried to stay away from people. Especially the ones I care about the most.”

“Your granny still around? Aint too many people left in the world that can wield that kinda power and know how to cast a curse like that.”

“Yes.” Judy nodded as Finnick turned his head away grinning like a Cheshire cat. “Mom and Dad moved her to the nursing home after that though. They tried for a while to get her to take it back, but she’s a little senile and just doesn’t know what she’s doing most of the time.”

“Where you from anyway?” He asked and watched Judy shrug. 

“A little town outside Podunk county. Too small for most people to notice.”

Finnick sucked in a breath and nodded. He wasn’t going to ask anything more because he could see her in the mirror, and she was already looking at him suspiciously. “Aight. Scoot back I’m moving back there. Let’s see how far we can push ya without ya turnin.” She scowled at him as he sat in front of her and chuckled. “You got a good imagination. So, I just want ya to think about how he smells and imagine him without a shirt on, working out in the sun as all that red fur glistens in his sweat.”

Judy curled her eyes together and snapped them back on him as they glowed an eerie red again. Finnick snickered as she moved away from him a little more. “Get a grip on it, gurl. You aint gonna be able to run away when you confirm it for him. You don’t seal the deal and it’ll kill him.” Judy groaned as she rolled her eyes to the ceiling and took a deep breath. Finnick nodded as she moved closer and took a seat in front of him waiting. “You two is as opposite as day and night. How much do you know about foxes?” She folded her arms over her chest and deadpanned him. He sat back laughing and nodded. “You been with a fox before?”

Judy covered her face with her ears and groaned as she shook her head. “You’re getting way to personal with your questions, Finnick. How do you know about this curse, but can’t tell I’m part fox?” His ears snapped up as both brows lifted, and she rolled her eyes. “My great great great great grandmother on my father’s side. There might have been a couple more greats in there.”

“Good,” Finick nodded as he looked her over again. “then this might not be as hard as I thought, but I can still teach ya a thing or two. Ya better get comfortable if ya aint, cause this is gonna be personal. You been with a fox before and you’re part fox, but I’m older and know a few things you probably don’t. So, let’s talk body language.”

“Body language? I don’t need any help with that.” She gave him an incredulous glare as one side of her lip curled up. “I think you’d be surprised at what I already know.”

“Let’s see if ya know about this. I got something to show ya. Look right here.” He hiked up one of his pant legs and exposed his thigh next to his growing.

“I will snap you in half.” She growled in a low warning as she dropped her brow. 

The small fox glared at her and shook his head. “Aint nothing on me that’s been hard enough to snap, or snap anything else with in more than ten years. I know things a lot of people don’t cause I was real good at chasin tail. I aint a red fox but that don’t mean I don’t know things about them. Were pretty close in anatomy. Ya don’t want my help then get out.”

“I doubt anything you can show me will help.”

“Oh? Did you know….” Finnick leaned in and whispered. 

“Foxes…. can do that?” She covered her mouth as her fur turned a bright enough red that she looked like it had been dyed.

He fell over and rolled around cackling in the back of the van in front of her. “All canines can. But most red foxes don’t fool around enough to figure it out. I aint a red fox and fennecs don’t take life mates, so I been around the block a few times. But that aint the half of it, I can explain the rest if you’re listenin?” He stood up wiping his eyes as Judy nodded. “Tell me exactly what it is he smells like that sets it off?” he asked as he wiped his eyes. Judy leaned into his ear, he had done it for dramatic effect, but he was tickled pink as she whispered like there was a possibility someone might hear them talking. When she leaned away, he bit his lip and tipped away laughing as her brow flattened. “HAHAHA! Maybe ya got some fox in your family, but you definitely more rabbit if that’s what he smells like to ya. We can go to the local farm store and get some. Might help get this under control without the use of those pills you don’t like. I can throw it all over the place and let you roll around in it like a fox.” He fell over laughing again when her head slammed against the back of the seat a few times……… 

Nick strolled back to the apartment grinning like an idiot again. He looked up at the building and back to the curb seeing Wolford’s car was already gone. Mr. Crowley had returned and was taking pictures of the bannister rails around the fire escape with a cheap disposable camera. Nick jumped in his car and left trying to avoid him and caught sight of the shirt Judy had gotten sick on in the other seat before he made his way back to Manches’ office and took care of the bill. He’d missed the large cat and had to pay a little more than what he’d been told, but he really wanted to get it over with and forget about it. The absent thought of forgetting something had something else he had forgotten turning the steering wheel back to the station. 

After parking he was careful not to get much attention as he made his way through Precinct one and almost managed to sneak past Rhinhorn. The paper he was holding up ruffled and Nick froze as the bull shifted and stuck one leg over the other on the desk. “Wilde, Chief will squash you if he finds out you’re talking to that other fox before the case goes to court.” 

Nick sighed as he ran a paw down his face. “I just want to ask him some questions. Preferably without ears listening.”

The paper was snapped and the edges of it sharpened as he watched Rhinhorn’s horn tipping back and forth over the top. “Got my tickets?” he asked and smirked as the paper slowly lowered, revealing a sneaky smile on the bull’s face. Nick rolled his eyes and dug through his pockets before leaving them on the desk. Rhinhorn looked down grinning as he sat the paper down and grabbed them before standing and stretching his arms, hiding the fact that he had picked them up from camera above them as Nick looked back to the door that led up the stairs. Tickets to the fair were difficult to come by for some of the officers who worked longer shifts and he had picked them up the day before after finding out Rhinhorn’s daughter wanted to go. The bull was having problems getting them with all the tourists in town and had complained about it the week before. When Nick had told him he could get the tickets for him, he had jumped at the offer. Using them for a few minutes of privacy was just a bonus. Rhinhorn stuffed them in his shirt pocket as he looked back at the fox and nodded. “I figured you would be able to get them. Chief sees you walking around here in that t-shirt and he’s going to ring out your tail. Bathroom breaks only last a few minutes though.” Nick chuckled as the bull left the room. Sometimes it paid off to know everyone. He grabbed one of his uniform shirts out of his locker and made his way back to the holding cells.

“Mr. Gray?” Gideon’s head lifted and he sat up on the bed in his cell as Nick stepped closer to the bars. “I’m Officer Wilde. I have some questions about Judy Hopps.”

The stout fox looked him over and shook his head. “I don’t see any rhyme or reason in helping you at all after what you said about Ms. Judy.”

Nick scowled as Gideon stood and walked closer to the bars. He shook his head as the taller fox glared at him. “You know all of you are pretty damn defensive about her considering she ran away five years ago. It makes me think you all did something pretty bad for her to stay away for so long.”

Gideon shook his head with tight lips. “You think just because you got that fancy uniform on you know better than the people who love her? You city slickers think just because of all this fancy machinery, snooty clothes, art, and big buildings you know it all?”

Nick scowled. “I know for damn sure that she has it stuck in her head that she’s cursed and can’t ever be loved by anyone. What the hell kind of country bumpkin bullshit is that, and who puts that kind of an idea in someone’s head? She’s wearing clothes that are so old they are falling apart! There are holes in her jeans big enough for me to stick my fingers through and she was stealing food! If you ‘all’ love her so much why couldn’t she call and tell you she needed help?!”

Gideon reached through the bars and grabbed him. Both foxes had a tight grip on each other’s shirts as their teeth pointed at each other in a snarl that pulled their lips over their gums. The taller fox blinked, and his face fell as he sat Nick down and backed away. His bangs fell over the front of his ears as he lowered his head. “She smells like spring showers.”

“I’ve noticed.” Nick almost growled through a clenched jaw.

Gideon sighed as he fell back to a seated position on the bed. “You’re right stupid, aren’t you?” Nick looked back towards the door where Rhinhorn’s desk sat and growled lowly seeing the bull hadn’t returned yet. “Don’t let her hurt you. It’d kill Ms. Judy if she ever hurt anyone she cares about.” 

Nick shook his head as he stuck both paws on his hips. “Well at least now I know for a fact that all of you are the reason she thinks like that! If you and everyone else she knows talked this kind of trash to her constantly, it’s no wonder she believes it!”

Gideon leaned back and let his shoulders fall. “She thinks like that because it’s true. And since were having this here conversation, she didn’t run away because we run her off. She ran away because of me. We were real close. That curse weren’t meant for her. She didn’t want to hurt anybody else either. There’s a whole lot of things to learn in the world that don’t revolve around what you can find on a computer and aren’t kept in books. Just as important and just as real though.”

Nick rolled his eyes. “Yeah, I’ll remember that. I suppose you didn’t care about her enough to tell her about tethering even though you guys were an item for a while either? You must not have been very close. She called it tag, why would anyone call it that?! Like it’s a damn game?! How much could you love her if you didn’t explain that and you left her ignorant to how things work with us?! Are you ignorant?!”

“I will love her until the day I die. She’s my friend. Me and my family are the only foxes who live where we come from. Me and her grew up together and I know how things work for rabbits. That don’t mean everything here is called the same thing it is there, or that I didn’t explain things to her. You think I’m ignorant and you haven’t bothered to find out how things work for rabbits? I think you might want to take a gander in the mirror. They call it tag for a reason.”

“What reason is that?!” Nick growled as his tail flipped back and forth.

“Because you’re it.” Gideon growled as he shook his head and leaned forward cupping both his paws in front of him as Nick turned to walk away. “Officer Wilde?” Nick looked back still frowning as Gideon nodded. “Her favorite movie is Grease. She loves carrots and peas, but she likes apples more than anything else.” 

Nick shook his head and sighed as he left. It was nearly four in the afternoon when he got back to his apartment after stopping and buying Mrs. Beesly a jar of honey. He was still trying to get the sound of the other fox’s southern drawl out of his head. She smells like spring showers. He cupped his head as he sighed and looked up seeing the clouds rolling as the first few drops of rain hit the windshield. The way she smelled was falling everywhere and his nose couldn’t get enough of it. He sucked in a breath and ran into the apartment building as it started pouring. After he had gotten through the door, he took his uniform shirt off and looked around. He emptied his pockets of the receipts and change, sitting them on the counter with the honey.

I can still smell the tears in your apartment…

He looked around smirking before he pulled all the cleaning supplies out from under the sink and went about scrubbing the hell out of everything he could reach. By the time he was finished his arms ached and it was only five. Go kill some time…. He shrugged as he grabbed his shirt again and clipped each button before he rushed out the door. Wolford hadn’t returned and they were working the swing shift tomorrow, so they probably wouldn’t see each other in the morning. The apartment was cleaner than it had been when they had moved in. If Judy wasn’t coming back until after it was dark, having a beer on a Friday night with friends sounded like a plan…...


	8. Rookie Riot

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> New Kid On The Block

Girls Aloud; Love Machine*

Nick shook himself and hung his coat by the door as it closed. He spotted red fur and slipped between the tables before grabbing Ginger and spinning several times. “Hello beautiful, Spicy girl!” When he let go the red panda flew away from him, her arms out like she was rowing boat oars as both knees folded together. The shocked expression on her face morphed into a smile as she turned around. Every head in the bar turned when Nick had spun her out. He grabbed a chair before flipping it backwards and sitting with Wolford at their usual table.

Several others already gathered in a little group greeted him as he leaned over the chair. Fangmeyer was on the opposite side of the table sitting with Snarlov and Delgato. Gerald sat with Grizzoli who was towering in the corner closest to the door. Ginger came back to the table and sat down several bottles. Nick grabbed the one she sat in front of him and leaned into the table. “What’s for dinner honey?” 

“You’re late and the only thing leftover is a swift kick in the ass.” Wolford shot as the others snickered.

“Damn, guess I should have stopped and got you some flowers.”

“Save them for someone who will break your heart.” Wolford growled as Ginger grabbed the glasses from the table and left to empty the tray.

“Ah, you’re still pissed off because I’m cheating on you.” All the others at the table lifted a brow as Wolford turned to Nick with narrowed eyes.

“No damnit, I’m not pissed because you’re cheating on me, I’m pissed that- The wolf stopped as Nick’s ears tipped with a cocky smirk and he smacked a paw to his head when they all laughed. “Gods I’d love to throttle you.”

Nick laughed as he nodded and pointed at Wolford. “So that’s what this is all about. He’s mad because I won’t let him be on top.”

Wolford turned shaking his head and trying not to laugh. “I’m pissed because he has horrible taste in females and brought a strange girl home.”

Nick tipped his head back and forth snarkily and threw his paws out. “You shouldn’t talk about yourself like that Fort, you aren’t terrible or strange. If you aren’t pissed about me cheating on you, I think you’re pissed because I’ve got strange and you still just have me.” 

“You’re ALL kinds of strange Nick.” Wolford barked as Nick bounced his brows.

“So what are you complaining about? Then you already have it ALL! Right here baby! You don’t have any reason to be jealous! I still love you!” he motioned to himself and Wolford pressed his finger and thumb over his eyes as the table rolled in laughter at them.

“You’re fucking impossible.” Wolford looked back at Nick with his lips twitching and cupped a paw to his head laughing as they all kept snickering at the pair.

“Fucking isn’t impossible. You’re killing the mood Fort!” Nick said as he stuck out a faux pout. 

The wolf leaned over sucking in a deep breath as he looked around the table and growled. “What do you expect, I have a headache all the time. He’s about five foot eleven, with green eyes and nags me constantly.”

Nick stuck his nose in the air and folded his arms over his chest. “And you wonder why I want some strange. I’m the most beautiful thing you’ve ever seen, and you don’t even tell me I’m pretty anymore.”

Wolford cupped his paw over his head as he leaned into the table, laughing so hard his eyes were watering. “Gods damn you make it hard to stay pissed off at you.”

Nick threw his arms up and nodded. “You heard him! He loves me because I make it hard!”

“OH FUCK - ASSHOLE!” Wolford barked as he got up and left the table trying to catch his breath.

“Now? I thought you said you had a headache?! I made it rain, didn’t I? It’s pouring and I didn’t bring my raincoat?! I’m a horrible husband!!” Wolford turned at the bar and Nick jumped off the chair and hit his knees. “WAIT! COME BACK BABY! I’LL DO BETTER I SWEAR! I’LL DO BETTER EVEN THOUGH YOU ALREADY KNOW I’M LYING BECAUSE THAT’S WHAT I DO, AND DON’T ASK ME FOR ANYTHING. EVER. DON’T EVEN ASK ME TO MAKE LOVE TO YOU BECAUSE I DON’T LIKE THAT. NO, I DON’T LIKE THAT BECAUSE I JUST WANT TO FUCK! ALL THE TIME! THAT’S WHAT YOU WANT ISNT IT, FORT!? YOU ONLY LOVE ME BECAUSE I’M GOOD IN BED!”

“Fucking gods!” Wolford wheezed as he grabbed the bar shaking his head.

“Fucking Gods?” Nick asked as he looked off blinking from the floor. “Do Gods fuck?” Gasp “No wonder you won’t leave me no matter what I do wrong even though I never do anything wrong because if I do it, it’s alright if I said it’s alright.” He nodded looking around. “It’s because I fuck like a god! And if I fuck like a God, that means…I must be GOD! Get over here and worship me Fort! Right here in front of me on your knees! You need God in your life! Everybody needs God in their life! God is the only one who can make it rain! I make it rain for everyone and that’s why everyone wants the red devil! I can give you the red devil Fort!”

Wolford leaned over trying to catch his breath. “Oh my house (Joe)… 

“Your house? No, it’s not. It’s my house, Fort. I still want a divorce and when we go to court, I’m going to tell the judge you were mean to me and hurt my feewings. He’s going to give me the house because I’m going to lie, Fort. I’m going to lie through my teeth and tell him I’m the wife and you’re the husband. He’ll believe me because I’m smaller and prettier than you and if that doesn’t work, I’m going to flirt with him. Even if that doesn’t work, I will sleep with him to get what I want. You know why that will work don’t you, Fort? It’s because I fuck like a God!” 

“Nick I’m going to kick you right in the-

“Butt?” Nick asked as he made a sour face. “You know that’s the problem, right? You know I don’t like smelly buttons! Bleach that thing first and then we can go at it really good! You know it will be good because I fuck like a God!” Everyone in the bar was rolling as Wolford grabbed a towel off the bar and threw it at Nick. He pulled it off his head and watched the wolf going to the back of the bar. “COME BACK! DON’T LEAVE ME! I NEED YOU EVEN THOUGH YOU KNOW I DON’T! DO YOU WANT ME TO DRY YOU OFF WITH THIS? I CAN MAKE IT RAIN AGAIN LATER! YOU KNOW YOU LOVE ME!” He stood from the floor grinning and jumped back in his chair. “He’ll be back, he loves me.”

Grizzoli folded over and Fangmeyer leaned into his shoulder biting her paw as they both jostled. Snarlov had thumped his head to the table and Delgato sat flat faced shaking his head while Gerald sat stunned. The bear ran a paw down his face as he sat up. “Oh Lord.”

Fangmeyer’s eyes went wide as they all sat up and watched Nick fall into a smirk. He jumped up on a chair and threw his arms up. “LORDY, LORDY!”

Everyone in the bar stopped and stood screaming. “FANGS IS FORTY!”

The tiger curled one side of her lip up looking at Grizzoli, and the bear folded over the top of the table as Gerald watched the others laughing. She looked back to Nick and narrowed her eyes as he chuckled and sat back in his chair. “I might make you into a throw rug for starting that again.”

“I’m not big enough to be a throw rug for you, I might be useful as a carpet cleaner though. I bet I’m damn good at that. I bet it would sound just like a motor purring too. Come on, make a bet with me about it, you know you want to.” She fell forward laughing as he bounced his brow and Snarlov slammed his fist on the table barely breathing. Grizzoli sat up wiping his eyes and shook his head when Wolford sat back at the table. Nick pointed his nose to Gerald and was grinning as the younger cheetah kept his ears pinned back. “Nick names also come with their own inside jokes most of the time.”

Wolford shook his head. “It’s a damn epidemic with him. We all get one and get stuck with it. If someone figures out why he gave it to you that wasn’t there when it happened, they win the pool Ginger has going on the name.”

“Pool?” Gerald asked as they all shook their heads and groaned.

“Betting pool on why he gave someone a Nick name. Everyone knows mine because I just tell everybody. Delgato’s is Duster, Grizzoli is Smokey, Fangmeyer is Fangs. Snarlov is Swisser, he calls Clawhauser Benji, and it may sound like a short version of his name, but it’s actually Ben-G. The only reason we know that much about it is because Nick said if anyone ever figured it out, he’d take over their parking duties for a month, voluntarily.” 

They all looked to the fox and watched him grinning as he shook his head. “No one is ever going to figure that out. That’s why Clawhauser doesn’t do the betting pools anymore. Spicy does it now.” He looked around and back to the table and curled his brow. “Where is she anyway? Speak of the devil.” He smirked as she came back to the table. 

“I’m not the devil, you’re the devil Nick.”

“No,” he shook his head and smirked. “I have the red devil. There’s a difference.”

The red panda stood beside Grizzoli and took the towel from Nick tossing it over her shoulder and shook her head grinning. She glanced around the room a few times and tipped her head as Nick tapped a square coaster with rounded edges on the table. Ears perked and the officers in the bar blinked at each other as the same tap continued. Slow smiles started spreading as 

Wolford looked at Nick and the fox scratched his nose as Ginger sat the tray on the table. “I’ll bring you the usual round.”

Nick leaned back and shook his head. “No, we should all have a Smooty.”

Grizzoli spewed the beer in his mouth and thumped his chest with a fist before he looked back and found everyone gawking at the fox who was watching Ginger. Her ears had folded back into a flat brow and she was soaked in the alcohol the large bear had been drinking. “You can’t do that Smokey! I’M THE ONLY ONE WHO CAN MAKE IT RAIN AND GET ANYONE WET LIKE THAT!”

They all froze as Ginger opened her eyes and looked at Nick. She wiped her face off and twisted the towel that had been over her shoulder. She snapped it and hit him making him jump into a yelp that had everyone laughing as she shot him a sneaky smile. “Just because the name of my bar is the Pig Sty and all the cops hang out in here doesn’t mean I want a mess everywhere. He might have spit it, but you’re the reason I’m all wet.”

Nick nodded as he leaned back in his chair. “I’ve been doing that to you for a long time haven’t I? No wonder you’re so Spicy.”

“April- bring a mop and bucket!” A younger deer grabbed them from behind the bar and cleaned up the mess as the little red panda turned to Nick grinning. “Poison or passion?”

Nick narrowed his eyes and nodded. “Passion I think.”

“You know that’s always the poison, Nick.” She winked and left them all staring at him as Gerald leaned forward.

“What’s a Smooty?” The cheetah asked as he ticked his eyes around the table.

Wolford smacked a paw to his face as Fangmeyer giggled in a thundering purr. “It’s the house special here Gerald. Everybody loves it. It’s a smoothie and cocktails mixed with creamer.”

“That doesn’t sound very good.” The younger cheetah scrunched his nose up and shook his head. “Why mix those things?”

Fangmeyer shrugged and leaned over the back of her chair stretching her arms. “We just mix them however we like them for ourselves.”

Nick leaned back grinning as Delgato covered his muzzle. The lion let his ears fall, and Nick looked around catching several officers at the other tables glancing their way as he kept tapping the table with the coaster in his paw. Ginger was carrying a large tray and danced around the tables leaving two larger pitchers in front of them with a small ladle of cream in the center. She leaned over and lifted her brow in front of Nick as he smirked. “I’m Spicy again?” He shrugged and she nodded with a sneaky smile. 

“Hey Ginger?” She turned looking at Delgato as he leaned forward. “You need a date tomorrow?” She lifted her brow and gave him a funny look before she rolled her eyes.

“Really?” she asked as he waited. “What is it you do in your free time?”

Nick leaned over chuckling as the lion looked around the table. “Computer programming.”

“Sounds boring. Why would anyone be interested in that?”

He sighed as he picked up the beer in front of him. “The software is fascinating.”

“That’s too bad because I specialize in hardware and my drives aren’t big enough for yours.”

He nodded and rubbed his chin before he sighed. “Well, I’m too old to change my profession. Maybe we can just play Doctor instead? I’ve got a broken third leg I need you to straighten out. I know you’re a miracle worker because you’re making it feel better already and you haven’t even looked at it yet.” 

“I don’t have a medical license.”

“I can take you fly fishing instead?” He smirked as she shook her head. 

“I’m not going fishing for anything around your fly either.” Nick was silently chuckling as the others laughed. “I keep telling you your fur is the wrong color.”

“What’s wrong with the color of my fur?” He asked twitching his whiskers as Fangmeyer poured a half and half mix into her glass giggling.

“Oh, I don’t know, my imagination just keeps running Wilde.”

Wolford shook his head as he mixed a drink. “Don’t encourage him Ginger. You should have seen him running Wilde earlier and you won’t believe what he was chasing.” 

“Another rabbit.” Fangmeyer rolled her eyes as she sipped on the glass she had, and Gerald kept looking at the mix with a sour face. The tiger poured half and half into another glass and shoved it in front of him. “Try it before you decide you don’t like it. I like more smoothie in mine though. If you don’t add the cream, it’s not as good.”

“Nope, it’s just plain ugly without the cream in it.” Grizzoli chuckled as he grabbed the pitcher. “Why was he chasing a rabbit again?”

“Pretty sure they’re both nuts, that’s why.” Wolford chuckled. 

Nick sniffed and grabbed his own drink. “She’s not nuts. She’s Carrots.”

Fangmeyer lifted a brow. “You’re calling a rabbit Carrots?”

Nick nodded as he took a drink. “She pretty much insisted on it.”

“Yep, she’s nuts if she wants that Nickname as a rabbit.” Delgato shook his head and rolled his eyes sarcastically. “I can tell you’re perfect for each other already.”

“Well, she is pretty good at giving Nicknames to people too.” Nick smirked as they all looked at him with tipped brows. “We ran into Roxie earlier and Carrots called her a Dill Doe.”

Grizzoli almost choked on his drink as Fangmeyer laughed. Wolford covered his mouth hissing and Ginger shook her head as she picked up the empty bottles. “I don’t want another beer bath today.” 

Nick snickered as she left, and they all turned their attention to the bear as he coughed a few times. “That’s the most offensive expression a rabbit can call another rabbit in their language.” Grizzoli shook his head.

“Rabbits have their own language? How do you know it?” Gerald asked.

Grizzoli nodded as he swirled his glass around. “I’m a brown bear, I grew up in the woods and the country is full of rabbits. They don’t swear very often. Pellets, Horse apples, means shit in rabbit lingo. You wouldn’t believe or even understand half the things they talk about because it sounds like they’re always talking farm business or food, and it’s all code for something else.” Nick leaned forward and Wolford took a sudden interest as Grizzoli looked around seeing he had all their attention. “What is it you want to know?”

“How is that the most offensive thing to a rabbit?” Nick asked with perked brows.\Grizzoli shook his head. “You were with her for what? Two years? A little longer and she didn’t explain any of this to you? Her family didn’t explain it?”

Nick shook his head. “I never met her family. She was afraid they would be afraid of me. She didn’t want me scaring them.”

Grizzoli growled. “Horse apples. That should have been you’re first red flag right there. That and the fact that she didn’t want to come here with you. Social little things and not many of them are shy anymore either because their families are so big, and they usually live in small homes. They just get comfortable with everything being in close quarters like that. Maybe a rabbit who is alone might be afraid of a fox, but a family of them? Pssh, there’s enough of them in a family to run a fox over like a school bus takes a speed bump.” 

Wolford watched Nick’s ears tip back and leaned forward as Snarlov cringed. “What’s a Dill Doe?”

Grizzoli scoffed. “Rabbits don’t need sex toys, so it’s an insult in itself. It also refers to cucumbers.” They all made a sour face as Grizzoli chuckled and shook his head. “Not what you’re thinking. They were one of the top crops for rabbits when they first started farming and something else rabbits think are pretty nasty is pickles.” He chuckled as they all gave him a funny look. “Pickles are just cucumbers that have been fermented in vinegar. Back in the old days before there were toilets, rabbits used vinegar to clean up after themselves because rabbit urine is so strong and stains everything. The vinegar that was left over after soaking Dill pickles was what they used to clean and remove stains with. Calling someone a Dill Doe is pretty much saying they are sour, full of piss and vinegar. The vinegar was only used because it was a leftover. The piss left stains they used the vinegar for. So, there you have it, a Dill Doe is a rabbit who is sour, full of piss and vinegar, a used left over, and someone that leaves dirty stains everyone wants to get rid of, forget, and not think about.”

“Oh Gods…” Nick cupped both paws over his eyes and was laughing so hard he was hissing. Wolford and Snarlov glanced at each other shaking their heads. “Ok, I’m asking. Educate me on bunny speak.”

Grizzoli lifted a brow and chuckled as all their ears set on him. “Why? Did the one you meet say something you didn’t get?”

Nick shook his head. “No, pretty sure I got it. Pretty embarrassing though.”

“Something embarrassed you?” Fangmeyer leaned forward as Wolford and Snarlov both perked their ears. “What did she say?”

Grizzoli tilted his ears and Nick waved a paw. “It’s different with you guys because we’re all friends here and we’re just goofing. This was in an office and there were a lot of people around. Something about bread and seeds. So, bunny speak?”

The bear nodded and gulped half his glass. “Another language like I said. A buck can ask a doe for a salt lick, but a doe can’t ask for that because she doesn’t have a stalk.” Nick tipped a brow as Gerald shook his head. Even Fangmeyer was looking at him funny as Wolford and Snarlov leaned forward. “Fertilizing and plowing fields isn’t about planting crops. Think buck teeth and a field. Bucks don’t have sheaths, they have husk stalks and cobs, the does do the shucking. Kneading dough has to be done before you can bake bread, and all this is talking about foreplay.” Nick snickered as they shook their heads. The bear watched Gerald scrunch his nose and Fangmeyer rolled her paw for him to continue as she giggled. “Bread, or talking about getting bread is talking about sex. Combines, harvesting wheat, seeds and grain that make bread, so they use those phrases sometimes referring to sex too. Everybody knows what someone is talking about when someone says anything about putting ‘a bun in the oven’, but most people don’t know where the phrase came from. It’s from rabbits making bread- having sex- making love and combining two things that also makes bread. Everyone knows what a roll in the hay means but in literal bunny lingo it means sex in the hay because a ‘roll’ is bread. Gives a whole new meaning to biscuits and gravy, bread and beat tips (beef tips) or bread pudding. Bucks call does Yeast. I’m sure it’s not difficult to put together why because it’s what makes dough rise. A doe and a rise. The does call the bucks Seeds. A buck can ask a doe for a loafer because bread can’t rise without being in loaf pan. You have to knead the dough and warm up the oven before you can bake a bun. And if you hear a rabbit talking about getting baked it has nothing to do with drugs and may not be referring to cooking. Buttering someone’s bread or burning someone’s toast isn’t always about food. Bucks don’t have pans, the does have the pans. Two pans together is a same sex couple of does, bread that only has seeds is talking about two bucks in a relationship. It’s difficult to understand because half the time it can refer to several things at one time. If you aren’t in on the private parts of the conversation you won’t get it.”

Wolford shook his head as Nick fell on the table laughing. “You want to let us in on the joke?”

Nick was hissing as he tried to catch his breath. “Oh Gods…. If what she said wasn’t a two-way thing I’m really confused.” They all looked at him with raised brows as he sat up chuckling. “She said something about a lot of bread going around and a hare losing all his seeds because of it.”

Grizzoli nodded. “No, you might be thinking right. Like I said it’s confusing if you aren’t in on the meaning.”

Wolford shook his head. “What played out today? Care to explain it?”

“No, I really should go since you mention playing. Reminds me I’m going to teach her how to play baseball with the rest of the team tonight.”

Gerald scrunched his nose and looked out the door. “Baseball? It’s almost dark and it’s raining outside.”

Grizzoli covered his mouth as Fangmeyer shook her head. Snarlov and Wolford both stuck paws over their faces and laughed as Nick sighed. “Yeah, I’m going to see how many bases we can get to. I’ll have to be careful though, but I’m pretty sure the ump won’t throw me a foul for hitting someone with the bat or balls repeatedly. Its unavoidable when you’re trying to get a home run in the dark when it’s raining.” 

Gerald looked around shaking his head as they all kept trying to keep straight faces. “You guys talk to each other like this all the time?”

Delgato covered his mouth and shook his head groaning. “Yeah this is one messed up little family. Wolford, I can’t take much more of this. Get the clown out of here.”

They all looked at Wolford shaking their heads and he rolled his eyes as he sighed. He looked at his feet before he grabbed a glass and started mixing a drink. “Nick, how long did you leave the door open when you came in? You let it in here again, didn’t you?” Ginger returned with a bowl she sat on the table full of pretzels as Fangmeyer covered her eyes laughing. 

Nick smirked, chuckling as he looked around the floor shaking his head. “I don’t think I let it in. Did I?” He jumped up in the chair with a sharp yelp and his tail in one paw as one leg hiked up. “DAMN! I DID LET IN IN! IT JUST HOPPED ON MY FOOT!”

“What is it?” Gerald looked under the table as Wolford and Snarlov cupped paws over their muzzles. 

Everyone in the bar was watching and started looking around the floor when the little red panda squealed and jumped into Delgato’s arms. The lion was grinning ear to ear at her when she turned and scowled at Nick. “DAMN IT NICK! YOU GET THAT DIRTY LITTLE THING OUT OF MY BAR!”

“I’M NOT TOUCHING IT!” Nick screamed.

Gerald jerked in the chair as an officer on the other side of the room jumped up screaming. The ram looked at Nick with a flat face and a deep frown. “Wilde, you brought it in here- you get rid of before it touches anyone else!”

“Where’d it go, Wooler?” He asked the ram looking around the floor again.

“What is it?!” Gerald asked again as he looked around.

Fangmeyer roared as she pulled her feet up scowling at the fox. The younger cheetah shook his head as she pulled her feet into her chair frowning. “It’s a toad. Get it out of here, Nick.”

“NU UH,” Nick said as he shook his head looking around the floor again. “I’m not touching it.”

“You guys are afraid of a toad?” Gerald asked as an elephant on the other side of the bar trumped and pulled his feet off the floor. The bull turned growling at the fox and shook his head when the young cheetah jerked to another voice screaming. “Where is it? I’ll catch it and put it outside.”

Snarlov bit hit his cheek and held a flat face. “You don’t want to catch it either. It’s contagious and once you have it, it just keeps coming back. Damn thing never really goes away.”

“GODS DAMN IT, WILDE!” Several officers jumped at the same time and Gerald looked around shaking his head. “ITS MULTIPLYING, GET IT OUT OF HERE!”

“They’re lying, they’re all lying. Rabbits are the only ones who can multiply like that.” Grizzoli said flat faced and everyone started laughing and shifting in their chairs.

“You guys are fucking with me, aren’t you?” Gerald asked as he looked around.

Nick shook his head laughing as he fell into his chair. “If you want us to be fucking with you, you’re going to have to take your pants off first. We have our own language too. Everyone knows a rookie is getting tapped when I send out the message with the coaster. We’re sitting here drinking Smooties, which is code for male and female. Fangs is a smoothie and Fort is a cocktail and it’s all ugly until you add the cream. It usually doesn’t take this long for someone to figure out what we’re talking about. Damn, are you sure you’re old enough to be in here with that nappy? I think I can still smell your mother behind your ears.” Delgato sat Ginger down as the young cheetah’s ear flipped back with his cheeks flaring. Gerald snickered as Grizzoli and Snarlov ruffled the fur on his head, shoving him playfully as they laughed. 

“What’s a nappy?” Gerald asked and they all cupped paws over their faces laughing.

“SOMEBODY GET THIS KIT A NAPPY!” Nick screamed as he pointed at Gerald. 

Everyone in the bar threw their paws up and clapped. “NAPPY HO!” Half a second of silence and a blink sent everyone into another round of laughter. 

“Why did they do that?” Gerald asked as he looked around.

Wolford shook his head as Nick stood up and left a few bills on the table. “That was the clap. When you get a Nick name you get the clap and I make you my ho.” 

“That just sounds wrong.” The young cheetah scratched his ear and Snarolv laughed as he covered his eyes.

Nick shook his head. “It is wrong. I didn’t start that- Fort did. I’m pretty sure he thought it would get me to stop. It did not.” 

He pointed to Wolford who nodded as they snickered. “Fuck no it didn’t because he’s fucking contagious and once you get a Nick name, it sticks with you whether you want it or not. He thinks he makes us all his bitches.” 

Nick shrugged. “You are my bitches! Ginger is my Spicy ho, Snarlov is my Swiss ho, Delgato is my Dusty ho, Grizzoli is a Smokey ho, I’ve got a Fang ho, but she likes smoothies more than cock-tails, and now you’re my Nappy ho. Fort’s just a ho. I just like him better than the rest of you.” 

The wolf shoved him as he snickered. “Get out and take the toad with you, Nick.”

Gerald shook his head and Fangmeyer fell over laughing as Nick rolled his eyes. “I’m taking the invisible dirty little horny toad in my pocket home with me so I can give it to someone else and get rid of it. We always have Smooties before it gets out and spreads all over the bar.”

Delgato watched Ginger picking up the pitcher and grinned as she looked back at him. “You smell like dinner. I could take you out to eat. I’ll even get you some makeup if you want.”

The red panda looked at Nick as she stood straight and popped one hip shaking her head. “Makeup? My lips aren’t interested in your stick. I only wear red.” (JoeyJoBobJunior)

Nick laughed as he leaned over. “She only wants the red devil! A Nick stick!”

Snarlov chuckled as he rubbed his head. “Wolford’s right, he’s fucking contagious.”

“Fucking is contagious. That’s why you all love me! You can get it from somebody or give it to somebody, but there is always more than one involved. It just doesn’t work if it’s not a two-way thing. Then again, the whole reason masturbation is so popular is because no one can love you like you love yourself!” (Cow) Nick chirped as he grabbed his coat.

“Get off this shtick already.” Wolford rolled his eyes. 

“Shtick? Are you still upset because I’m sharing my Nick stick, Fort? I told you I didn’t like dirty buttons! I want some pie!”

“Leave!” Wolford barked as the others fell over laughing again. “Go get laid already! And don’t give that girl everything you have.” Wolford warned as he narrowed his eyes.

“You think she can handle me? You can’t even handle all of me, but I’ll give it one hell of a try if you think she can! I’ll give her everything!” He rolled his hips and Fangmeyer fell over as Ginger walked away laughing. “But then I’ll come back to you because you’re my button bitch. But you have to go to the spa first and I’m not paying for that.” Snarlov was turning blue as Grizzoli shook his head hissing. Wolford bounced, still laughing as Nick stuck his face closer and batted has lashes. “You know you love me. You can’t resist these beautiful emeralds in front of you and even though I’m going to have sex with someone else I only have eyes for you! They’re emeralds because I’m never going to buy you jewelry, I don’t love you that much. These beautiful emerald gems have been passed down through my family and now you’re the only one who is worthy of my family jewels! But you’re making them turn blue so I’m giving her my car.” (Cimar/Bluelighthouse)

“You’re giving someone your car?” Gerald asked and Fangmeyer smacked her head giggling as Nick smirked.

“Well, I’m actually going to give her the keys to my hot rod. I’m keeping my car. I just want someone to shift the gears for me. Fort always tries to grind the transmission and chokes the motor.” They fell over laughing as Nick leaned closer to the wolf while Gerald just perked a brow shaking his head.

Wolford laughed as he shoved Nick. “Get the fuck away from me.” 

“I am getting the fuck away from you. I never gave you a fuck anyway.”

Wolford groaned as he fell forward laughing. “You impossible little fucker.”

Nick tipped a brow and looked off nodding. “Little fucker… That reminds me, lose some weight and then I’ll find you attractive again. You’ve really let yourself go, Honey. I mean look at you- you’ve gotten as big as a Fort!””

“GET OUT, NICK!” Wolford laughed as he pointed to the door.

“FINE!” Nick screamed as he threw his arms up. “I never gave a fuck for you or to you anyway. It’s no wonder I’m cheating on you when you reject me like this all the time even though I don’t want you anymore and I never have or will!”

“Gods damn it, Nick.” Wolford hissed as he cupped both paws over his head.

“You want me to damn it? I can’t do that right now because I have other plans tonight. I can put a cork in there real fast if you want me to. Remember, I’m God, Fort. If you’re damned, it’s because God put a cork in it.”

Wolford shot from the seat as everyone at the table rolled. He grabbed Nick and the fox smirked. “You know that’s spousal abuse and police brutality? I’m going to own your ass in the divorce.”

Wolford opened the door and kicked Nick in the ass. He shoved the fox out the door and sat back down shaking his head as he wiped his eyes off from laughing. “God’s damn he’s impossible…….” 

Fangmeyer sat up and blew out a breath as she shook her head. “I hope she’s not like the other one was.”

Snarlov picked up his glass and shook his head. “He hasn’t been like that for a couple of years.”

Wolford picked up his jacket and sighed. “Well there’s already a couple of problems.” 

“Why?” Fangmeyer asked as she leaned forward shaking her head. “He’s happy, hasn’t been like that for a long time. So, he’s getting lucky tonight. It’s no big deal, even you were encouraging him out the door.”

Wolford threw his jacket on and zipped it up as he tossed a few bills on the table. “Well he just met her and she’s a rabbit. A rabbit left him after a long relationship, and she claimed him.”

“Claimed him?” Grizzoli asked as he tilted his head to the side. “Rabbits don’t do that. They tag each other when they find a life mate.”

Wolford shook his head. “One more reason for me to think she’s no different than the other one. I’m pretty sure he claimed her too after what I saw earlier today, so I have grounds to have my own problems with this.” He growled as he left the table and rushed out the door….


	9. Tailgating

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Forced acceptance

Daughtry; Start of Something Good*

Gerald looked around curiously when they all became quiet. “What’s his problem with it?”

Grizzoli glanced at Snarlov. “I can’t do it. Somebody else is going to have to tell him.” The wolf let his ears drop and turned away shaking his head before he got up and left the table.

Fangmeyer stirred what was in her glass around and nodded. “Wolford lost his first partner. We don’t bring it up around either of them or Snarlov because it bothers them so much. It seems to be the main reason the officers who are wolves don’t stay in the force as long as the rest of us do. It’s not unusual for partners to get close or mess with each other like Nick and Wolford do. But for a wolf who has lost someone he considered part of his pack to make someone else part of it is. They still form bonds like they’re in a pack even though they don’t live like that anymore. They never found out how it happened, but his last partner was found torn to shreds. Predators were being found like that every few days. Serial killer case that was never solved. He almost left the force over it. That’s why when Chief Bogo found out he took an interest in a young red fox right after he lost his partner, he put them together after Nick graduated. They’ve been partners for…almost twelve years I think.”

“Why a fox if there had never been one on the force before?” Gerald asked looking around.

Grizzoli shook his head. “Wolford’s first partner was a Maned Wolf. We all think it may have been the reason he took such an interest in Nick to begin with.”

“That’s not the only reason.” Delgato muttered and Grizzoli and Fangmeyer sneered at him.   
“You might as well tell him. You want him to find out from us or say something that upsets Wolford?”

Grizzoli shook his head. “That’s easy enough to avoid. Just don’t bring up partners being in a relationship or him having one.”

“Wolford and his partner? I thought partners couldn’t be in relationships. I thought you said he wasn’t…”

Fangmeyer rolled her eyes. “D.J. wasn’t a guy Gerald. They weren’t in a relationship. Wolford was in love with her and we don’t bring it up because he will probably never put all the pieces together. Maned wolves look a lot like red foxes. Act a lot like them too. They don’t have packs, aren’t submissive and keep to themselves most of the time. Pretty quiet and shy. Nick is an exception to that rule for red foxes. He’s the polar opposite of what D.J. was like. He’d liked to have driven Wolford insane until he just got used to how he messes with him constantly.”

“Why?”

Fangmeyer giggled. “Oh, when they first became partners Wolford didn’t think any of the things Nick said were funny. It infuriated him most of the time. After he figured out Nick was doing it because he thought getting him upset was funny, he stopped getting upset about it. Now he just laughs. Those two can get everyone laughing at them. It’s almost like they are the alphas and all us cops are part of their pack. Wolford’s worried because he knows what foxes are like when they take a mate. Since Nick sort of just lost one and he’s already lost a partner, he’s keeping an eye on him more than he used too.”

“If Nick’s going to meet someone, where is Wolford going?” Gerald asked as he looked between them.

“Home. To keep an eye on him in case she doesn’t show up, so he doesn’t get lonely. They live right next door to each other. We all think it might be another part of the reason Wolford is the way he is with Nick. It’s mostly canines in the building they live in and when Nick moved in there with her, it was like another level of something wolves don’t do anymore. Coming together as a pack.” Grizzoli chugged what was in his glass. 

“Are they…. uhm ?” Gerald held a paw out and waved it back and forth.

Fangmeyer growled and the cheetah ticked his ears back as she sighed. “Good Gods no. Those two are straighter than arrows. I know they don’t teach it in the academy and haven’t for a while, but wolves are the ones who started the police forces. When they started falling out of living in packs, they did it to stay together and help the communities growing around them. They were first known as k-9 units because there were usually at least nine or ten in a group and they were all wolves. Everyone ended up calling them cops because they were a Community Organization Patrol Service. C.O.P.S. They’re still wolves and still make up the majority of each police station.”

“If they don’t live together, why is he going home?” Gerald looked between them as Fangmeyer looked at Grizzoli.

The bear lifted his glass again and shrugged. “Because if a wolf loses someone they consider part of their pack they usually don’t stay around. They become lone wolves, even in the old days it was like that unless the alpha let someone in his pack take a mate from another one. ‘Pack’ is a poor word because they don’t get too big with who they choose to be in one, but they still watch their own in a ‘pack’. We think Nick is the way he is with Wolford in a similar way because of what he wanted when he was younger. All we know is that he wanted to be part of a pack and never got to. He won’t say much else about it. The other part of the reason Wolford is like that with him is because of what happened when they met.” 

Gerald perked his ears as Grizzoli shifted and sighed. “You remember the story Wolford told, about how everyone in the bar was pissed off at Nick?” Gerald nodded. “Wolford was the one trying to get everything figured out. You have to understand that Mammals can still recognize body language, and Wolves are good at spotting it. Him saying that Nick getting them all wound up and that he wasn’t afraid of anything or anyone, that’s the hook neither of them have figured out yet. Nick wasn’t afraid of anyone in that bar, but he backed down from Wolford. It left the impression of submittance to an alpha and was just one more reason Wolford took interest in him. Wolford’s watching Nick for rebound. He probably doesn’t even know that may be another reason he took an interest in Nick. The word came from what happens to rabbits after they lose a life mate. If they don’t bond with another soon after, they can get sick and die from loneliness. Rebound can happen to anybody, but rabbits can have more than one life mate if their partner dies. They bond and are ‘bound’ to a life mate. They can re-‘bound’ with someone else if they lose a mate. Foxes can’t do that.”

“The other bunny he was with, she wasn’t his life mate?” Gerald asked.

Delgato cracked his neck as he preened his whiskers. “No, but she was as close to it as you can get for a fox without it being official. He’s always had a thing for bunnies, a lot of foxes do, but she was the first one he was with. They don’t move in with someone unless it’s serious. He stopped coming to the bar and hanging out with us. We all thought he had settled down. It was pretty rough when she left. Messed Nick up as much as it messed up Wolford when he lost his first partner. He’s worried he’ll get attached to another bunny who will screw him over like that again.”

Fangmeyer tipped a brow and ran a paw over her face. “We don’t know anything about this bunny. I can see why he’s worried.”

“I don’t get it, why is he so worried?” Gerald asked and flipped his ears back as they looked at him shaking their heads.

Delgato sighed. “A fox loses its mate and it will kill them. One way or another. Can’t say I disagree with what he’s thinking about a bunny who claimed a fox that fast.”

Grizzoli scoffed as he mixed another drink. “All rabbits aren’t like that, but bunnies don’t claim each other.” He shrugged as they all looked at him waiting for an explanation. “They tag each other when they find a life mate. I wouldn’t think too much about how fast it happened either.” He rolled his eyes as they all gave him and incredulous glare. “Look, love at first sight might be a rare thing but it does happen, on top of that you have to think about how each species has its own little rituals when it comes to taking a mate. A lot of mammals in the old days had arranged marriages. It was those rituals that kept a couple together and love grows from it. Rabbits did that all the time because there were so many more females than males. I don’t know anything about foxes in their ways, but I’d imagine it’s probably not much different. There are always more females than males. I know if rabbits tagged each other it was a done deal.”

“Why do they call it that? Why not just say claimed each other?” Gerald asked as he looked around.

Grizzoli shrugged. “They aren’t predators. I don’t know how that expression got started. Seems to be a bit of taboo talking about it. I think it may have something to do with owning livestock way back when rabbits were considered a food source because they bred so fast. I never pressed the issue. They bite each other’s ears. You can always tell which ones have mates if they have a hole in one of their ears. Sometimes they wear rings in them for a while after they take a mate. Just because he was with one rabbit who was like that doesn’t mean this one is. Take one of their mottos and don’t let one bad apple spoil the rest for you.”

Fangmeyer tipped a brow and ran a paw over her face. “We really didn’t know that much about his ex. She never came down here with him.”

Grizzoli looked back at the door as a small ewe came in and nodded. “Like I said, red flags. If I had known what was going on, I would have said something.” 

Fangmeyer huffed as she leaned back in the chair when Gerald looked at them curiously. “Nick kept his personal business pretty low after he started dating her and didn’t talk about her much. He didn’t even talk that much about it after it was over. Wolford is usually pretty reserved too, but he was pretty pissed about it and went on a rant a couple of times because of how Nick was after she left. You’re getting all this first paw because we don’t bring it up unless one of them do.”

The tiger zipped her lip as a ram stepped to the table with a small ewe. “Did you guys find out anything about why Nick was in such high spirits tonight?” Grizzoli and Fangmeyer glanced at each other and gave him a shrug. “I’m just wondering if he got back with- 

“No, they didn’t get back together, Wooler. Who’s your friend?” Grizzoli asked as he pointed to the sheep beside him. 

“This is Dawn, my girlfriend. She works for Lionheart in the mayor’s office.” She waved as Wooler chuckled. “Isn’t she the most B-ewe-t-ful thing you’ve ever seen?”

Dawn blushed and waved a paw at him. “Eric, if you keep telling people that, I’m going to bleat you to death.” They both laughed as Ginger came back to the table.

“Must be sheep humor.” Fangmeyer whispered to Grizzoli.

“Welcome to the Pig Sty. I’m Ginger. I make it a point to know everyone who comes in here.” Wooler introduced Dawn as Ginger cleaned the table off. “What’s your poison?”

Dawn and Wooler looked at each other and shook their heads. “We won’t be staying much longer. I just thought Dawn might like to meet everyone. She missed Nick though.” Ginger cleared the table and went back the bar.

“He’s part of the reason I came down here. I was hoping to meet him.” Dawn sighed as she shook her head.

“Have a seat.” Grizzoli motioned to the chairs and Delgato moved one out so they could both sit down. They exchanged names as they got comfortable. 

“Nick calls you Wooler? You don’t have a Nick name?” Gerald asked.

The ram chuckled as he shook his head. “Not yet. You have to do something that sticks the name in his head first, and makes you stand out.”

“Nickname?” Dawn asked as she looked around the table. 

Wooler snickered. “I’ll explain it later. You can ask about him though. This is pretty much his little crew sitting here.”

Fangmeyer and Grizzoli perked their ears. The tiger looked back to the bar and saw Snarlov getting another drink from Ginger before she turned around again. “What is it you wanted to talk to him about?”

Dawn fiddled her fingers as Wooler nudged her. “They’re friendly. They won’t bite you. Well…she might bite you.” He motioned to Fangmeyer who looked at Dawn and nodded.

“She does look delicious.”

The ewe curled her brow and cringed. They all laughed after Fangmeyer growled playfully. Dawn’s face turned red as Wooler pulled her closer. “You have to get used to them, especially after Nick gets everyone in here going. Just ask and find out what they think.”

Dawn looked around and nodded. “Lionheart started the mammal inclusion program, but we still haven’t had anyone apply yet. Eric says Nick might be able to help find someone who might be interested. Since he’s the reason it got started, I was wondering if he could help. They’re going to close it if no one applies. It seems like such a waste and I just don’t want to see someone who might want that opportunity not to have it in the future.”

“Why didn’t you just ask Chief Bogo to set something up for you?” Delgato asked.

Dawn shook her head as Wooler chuckled. “It’s a personal thing really. It’s not an official visit from the mayor’s office. Maybe you could just let him know I want to talk to him?” She pulled a small business card from her pocket.

Fangmeyer took it nodding. “Yeah, I can give it to him. We’ll probably see them tomorrow.”

“That would be wonderful!” Dawn chirped as she stood up with Wooler. “I hope he calls me soon, but we better go.”

Grizzoli stood letting Fangmeyer around him. “We need to get going too. Long day tomorrow. Hey Snarlov, let’s go.” The wolf joined her, and Ginger came back to the table as Grizzoli stood with Gerald.

“Dawn forgot her jacket.” Gerald pointed at it and Ginger picked it up.

“I’ll give it to Wooler the next time he’s in here. Are you working the swing shifts too?”

Grizzoli nodded as Gerald slid out from behind the table. “We all are while the fair is in town. So, for at least another week.”

“How’s that going?” Ginger asked as Fangmeyer and Snarlov threw their jackets on.

“It’s going.” The tiger laughed and they said their goodbyes before leaving the bar. After getting to the car she pulled around the building and headed down an alley that had Snarlov turning in the seat and narrowing his eyes. “You want to know too so don’t act like you don’t.” He nodded as he turned in the seat. They both perked their ears as they passed a street and spotted Wolford and Nick’s car. “They’re both home.”

Snarlov looked up and nodded as he caught Wolford in the Window and waved. Wolford returned the gesture and rolled his eyes, still looking at the street. A couple of hours had passed and he still hadn’t heard anything when he went to refrigerator and grabbed a box. 

Nick opened the door and looked up at Wolford as he held a bag up. “Did you eat something today? Something other than rabbit food?”

Nick curled his paws around the box and rolled his eyes as Wolford shoved it into his chest. “What are you my wife?” He bounced his brows a few times.

Wolford shook his head. “I wouldn’t even have thought of this if it weren’t for the fact that a certain rabbit convinced you eating protein around her was bad.”

“You want me to eat something don’t you, Fort? I’m not going to because husbands don’t do that.”

“Nick, you stopped eating this stuff and got sick because of it several times because of that certain rabbit, and I had to remind you every-day that you are a predator and need to eat those things.”

“That rabbit isn’t here anymore, Fort.”

“Neither is anything else! And you are waiting for another rabbit who is probably going to be the same way. She’s not going to show up, she just told you what you wanted to hear to get something she wanted!”

Mrs. Beesly tapped on the door and Wolford turned as she held out a bottle of pills. “I don’t know if she needs them or not but just in case.”

“Thanks, Mrs. Beesly.” Nick rushed around the corner snatching them from Wolford after he was looking at the bottle and sat them on the counter. 

Wolford smiled at her and closed the door. “How much money have you spent on this girl already?”

“You know the main reason for couples fighting and divorce is money. We should just avoid this conversation, Fort.”

“Gods damn it, Nick. I’m serious. You just met her!”

“Put the petal to the floor, you’re tailgating me.”

“Someone needs to if you aren’t using your head!”

“I’m trying to be polite and telling you to mind your own business.” Nick sighed as he walked back into the room. “I will eat this if you go home.”

“That’s great Nick, but how long do you think it will be before I have to remind you again- everyday - that you need to eat like this because she’s uncomfortable around your teeth too? Tell me you didn’t claim her earlier?”

“She’s part fox, she’ll come back.”

“Just because she’s part fox doesn’t mean she isn’t mostly rabbit, Nick!”

“Hit the brakes and back off, Fort.”

“I’m not going away damnit! I’m not losing another partner! You shouldn’t be getting involved with another rabbit! You’ve got your damn heart out on your sleeve for anyone to see! Maybe you feel on top of the world right now but how long is it going to be before she’s laughing at you like the other one?! You took her to the doctor- how the hell did you pay for that?!”

“GET OFF MY ASS! I SOLD THE DAMN RING! HAPPY? I’M NOT A KIT, YOU AREN’T OLD ENOUGH TO BE A FATHER FIGURE! IF YOU THINK YOU’RE STANDING IN MY WAY LET ME SHOW YOU THE DAMN DOOR! I DON’T NEED ADVICE I DIDN’T ASK FOR! SHE’S NOT THE SAME RABBIT AND I AM NOT D.J.!” Nick screamed. Wolford’s lips tipped slightly, and Nick slammed a paw around his muzzle and dropped his head and ears. “I shouldn’t have said that.” 

Wolford sighed as he looked around. “You’re right. Maybe we should just get divorced.” The wolf smirked at him. “Or you could just have an affair I’ll act like I don’t know about.” 

Nick’s ears shot up and he blinked as Wolford kept smiling. He messed with him constantly, but this was the first time he’d said anything in the way of playing into the big joke. He nodded and looked off like he was thinking before he was grinning. “You’ll still be my favorite bitch. I’ll bring you flowers after every time I’m with her though. That way I don’t feel so guilty about cheating on you.”

Wolford shook his head chuckling. “You’re impossible.”

“I know right? I am such a tease!” Wolford turned laughing as Nick bounced his brows. “You know you love me.”

Wolford rolled his eyes as he walked into the kitchen area and opened the refrigerator. “You went shopping?” His brows tipped as Nick ruffled through the bag. 

“Yeah, I got a few things on the way back. What is this anyway?”

“It’s fish and chips from Mandray’s. You got me lunch, so I brought you dinner. You just got rabbit things?” Wolford sighed as he grabbed a bottle of water and tossed it to Nick as he sat on the mattress. 

“We’ll I don’t want to arrest her again for stealing food.”

Wolford kept his ears perked as he looked around sniffing. “You cleaned too?”

“Yeah, she mentioned something about what she could smell in here so I was trying to get as much clean as I could.”

“What she could smell? Are you going to eat that?” Nick held the bag out and Wolford shook his head. “I already ate. I got that for you.” Nick opened the bag and started chewing on a sandwich as Wolford got back to the door. 

“She’s different, Fort.” He tried to grab the bottle of water and it fell over soaking his phone. “Damn.” It died and he shook his head. “Do you have any rice or sandwich bags?”

“Yeah. Give it to me and I’ll get it taken care of.” 

Nick handed him the phone. “If the station calls us in, you’ll have to let me know. The battery in that thing was going bad anyway.”

“I’ll let you know. I’m next door if you need anything.” He left locking the door and returned to his apartment. A sealed zip-lock bag and half a cup of rice later and he was shaking his head, pacing the floors as time continued ticking away. If Nick had already gotten rid of something he’d held onto for so long, it was too late to talk sense into him. His ears tipped as he heard a whine and he ran a paw down his face as he landed in a large recliner. Wolford chewed his lip as the television came on, still listening for the door to open or Nick to come knocking…...

Nick sighed as he cupped both paws over his ears and looked up at the ceiling. The mattress he was laying on was still covered in the scent of the bunny who smelled like falling rain and he had woken up with a blind thought about a day in the spring long forgotten at an age he couldn’t remember. It was unsettling to have a smell recall a memory you really couldn’t pinpoint and make you feel so happy without the details that usually recalled them also coming to mind. He rolled over onto his knees and rubbed his neck, remembering the way her teeth had felt as they brushed over his skin. He looked around and fought not to whine again at the dark empty space around him and back to the door shaking his head. She had a key and could come back whenever she wanted, but maybe he should have thought about snatching her through a little more before he had latched on and bound them together without knowing her better. She wasn’t coming back tonight, and more than anything he needed to get the lingering fragrance of everything that made plants and all things seem possible as snow started melting into spring out of his nose as he slumped to the bathroom and into the shower.

He leaned into the wall and closed his eyes letting the hot water melt into his fur before he was drenched. The overheated steam was already threatening to lull him back to sleep as he turned off the water and shook the excess out of his fur before patting down with a towel. At least it was enough to have his lids heavy again as he tossed on a loose pair of shorts and a shirt long enough it almost covered them before he started brushing his teeth.

Judy looked up from the street chewing her lip as she ticked her eyes between the streetlight over the apartment building and Nick’s window. She was already aware of what would happen if she didn’t confirm what had already been set in stone. Once a two-way tether had been made with a fox, without a physical connection they could easily see it as losing a mate or rejection and fall into the same kind of depression or illness caused from losing one. The smell of thick chemicals lacing her nose might have been overbearing if it weren’t for the fact that just the thought of him had her paws trembling as she clenched her eyes shut trying to fight off getting wound tighter than a three day clock again. There was no way she could let him see her when there was a possibility she might turn again if it caused an issue just thinking about him. She hopped up the stairs that led to the street from the fire escape after grabbing a rock she had spotted on the curb. One good aim and she leaned over the rail as she cringed, ducking as the bulb in the streetlight shattered and sent sparks and shards of glass glittering down. Another look around and she was grinning as the street fell into a shade of black that even a predator would have a hard time seeing anything in. 

Wolford’s ears perked and he stood up looking back to the window as he heard glass shatter. One peek out the window and he spotted the streetlight had blown and a little bunny climbing up the stairs. It was still pouring as she hopped up several creaking landings. Maybe Nick had told her to come through the window, but he wasn’t going to ask. He shook his head and turned his television off, making his way to bed before he laid down and closed his eyes.   
\-------------------

Roxie had taken the afternoon to go shopping, trying to get her nerves untangled. When she arrived back in the neighborhood where hedges were kept at exact measurements, lawns had to be cut at certain lengths and cars had to be less than a year old to park at a home, she pulled into the driveway and rolled her neck. The house held a large courtyard that was unseen from the street, and she made her way through an arc that led to the porch area. The doe froze as a buck stood beside the door tipping his head at her. “You usually only stay out this late if something upset you. Bad day?”

She sighed before her ears tilted and nodded. “My ex came to the dentist’s office today with his new girlfriend and got me fired. It was horrible.”

“He got you fired?” He asked as she sobbed a few times. “After everything else he did to you that must have been terrible.”

“You should have heard the things they said.” She stepped closer and tried to curl her arms around him, but looked up as he looked down at her flat faced. “What’s wrong?”

“You didn’t come home so I went out tonight. Doctors and lawyers tend to travel in the same social circles. Guess who I met this evening?” When his lip curled into a deep frown her ears dropped. “It’s funny how you can learn more about things by listening than talking. So I listened, I thought it would be a good way to help you get your job back or compensation if it went to court, so I didn’t say anything about us after Dr. Manches started explaining how he knew your ex and what had happened in his office. It took me a while to get past the anger about him lying until I made some phone calls. I guess the old adage is true though, once a cheater, always a cheater.”

“That’s not fair! You know what he was like when we were together!”

The buck scowled and shook his head. “Do I? Or do I know what you told me he was like? A fox who intimidated and scared you with the way he acted, used his teeth and claws to get you to move in with him. The more I think about it the less it makes sense, but the one thing I do know is what I’ve been like with you. And after talking to Brian from your office, all I had to do was bring up a harassment case to find out what I wanted to know. That hare was all too happy to tell it all, so I did a little more digging around about the horrible fox who treated you so badly.” Her ears fell as he scowled at her. “Funny, that hare may have been messing around with others in the office too, but you were the one that initiated things with him, weren’t you Roxie? I don’t know a lot of people here because I’m not from around here and I’m working constantly. But I couldn’t find one person who said anything about that fox that came close to what you said he was like. I moved here because I thought we had something together. You happened to catch your co-worker out on a night while I was out of town working on another case. I’ve got a case for you too, right there.” 

He pointed behind her and she turned letting her face fall when she spotted a suitcase next to the wall. “You’re kicking me out?! Where am I supposed to go?”

“That’s not my problem, and neither are you anymore. I had the locks changed and all the cards cancelled. I’m not heartless though. The same motel room we met in has been rented for a week. I’m sure you’ll bounce right back like you have before.”

He turned and slammed the door and Roxie picked up the suitcase, throwing it in her car before she drove to the familiar hotel. After checking in she sat on the bed and pulled out her phone and dialed a number she’d hidden. After several attempts to get through she turned the television on and watched a newscast about the fair and how it was causing local law enforcement to work double shifts due to tourists flooding the area. The doe smirked as she turned it off and crawled under the covers…


	10. The Rub

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Take a Breath and laugh at the end

Sarah Bairellas; Brave*

Judy made her way up the several little flights of stairs on the outside of the building and slowly opened Nick’s window, backing into the room. The doe was almost bowled over by the scent of a fox that was barely masked under cleaning supplies, and she stumbled into the corner next to the window shaking her head as her claws dug into the floor. 

Nick cocked his head to one side and set his ears as he heard a scuffle. It was the growl that shot his ears up and had him instantly alert as he stepped out of the bathroom and tried to look around as he reached for the tranq gun he had sat on the kitchen counter. He pulled the trigger back and held it up as his ears tipped back and forth. The fox straightened his back as he tried to get a better look around the room and shook his head as he slid around the little partition wall with his ears training. He could barely make out the room and moved again as he heard another shuffle, but he still couldn’t smell anything but her. When another growl set the fur of his neck on end, he jerked to the side with his pistol pointed and fired when something in the darkness shifted.

His wrist had been caught, and the pressure put in a place that opened his fingers caused the gun to clatter to the floor as the dart shot into the ceiling. He would have been boxing with whoever was in his apartment if it weren’t for the fact that as soon as his fingers opened, his arm was pulled back into his chest and he hit a knee as teeth clamped into the same spot on his neck. Both arms curled around her as one paw cradled her head and the other clamped over his jaw before he let go and was panting as her teeth raked through his fur over the most sensitive skin on his neck. He was going to have to retrain his brain with the thought that a bunny could growl in a way not simply caused from getting upset. “C-Carrots. I almost shot you.” He huffed as his head bunted against her neck.

“No, you didn’t.” 

Wolford sat up in his bed and cocked his head to one side as he heard a thump.

Judy grabbed Nick and had him against the wall as he threw his arms up. Her nose was rooting around in his neck and she grabbed his shirt pulling it up as he grabbed it and pulled it back down. “Oh wait. Hehehe, I need that! CARROTS! OH GODS!”

They were both laughing, and Wolford rolled over as everything went silent again. 

Nick had both paws against the wall beside his head as Judy pulled at his shirt, trying to get him closer to her level. He was still trying to catch his breath and tipped his head against hers as he felt her nose twitching against the longer strands of fur on his neck. The sensation set him fighting to get his breathing back to normal again as he kept his tongue locked in his mouth with a paw clamped around his muzzle. She shifted and he tried to look at her shaking his head as she pulled away and kept a grip on one of his fingers, dragging him away from the kitchen area. 

“What are you- oomf!” He looked around blinking as she pushed him onto the mattress. He was trying to get his eyes to adjust to the absence of light, but knew without the streetlight outside the apartment, they may as well have been in an abyss. The only thing he was going to see clearly was a shift in the shadows as she moved again. His eyes flew open and he was desperately searching the darkness, sucking in a breath as her weight landed on his chest pressing him against the bed. One of his paws shot above his head and clutched the mattress as the other wrapped around his jaw when her teeth grabbed a chunk of his neck again. When she pulled away and he looked back seeing the shape of her head tilt to the side, he curled his brow down as she slid from his chest and sat beside him. A few sniffles and his ears tipped back as he folded his fingers and brushed them along her shoulder. “I didn’t mean to scare you. I wasn’t thinking earlier today. I shouldn’t have used my teeth like that with you. I’ll try to keep t-

“What did she do to you?” 

“What?” His ear flipped up and he frowned as he tilted up on his arms trying to see her. 

His head turned as her paw ran down his chest and he jerked back to her as she sobbed again. “I have tagged you twice. Maybe the first time you weren’t ready, but you tagged me back. What happened on the fire escape may have been an impulse, but you were using your instincts. You weren’t thinking and that’s the whole point. That was the real you. I can smell your musk and that you want me as much as you did earlier. But every time you touch me you fold your claws away. You cup your paw over your muzzle and hide your teeth, your whole body goes stiff like you’re afraid to move. Foxes are usually quiet, but you don’t make the sounds a fox should make when they are happy or when they are with their mate. It’s the only time they are loud. You bite your tongue and hold your breath. Your foot is holding your tail to the bed so it can’t move. You’re a fox Nick, there isn’t anything about what you are doing right now that is natural.”

His ears folded back, and he jumped as her paw ran along his chin. “You can see me? I know I can hurt you with my claws and teeth if I’m not careful. What else am I supposed to do?”

“Bunnies aren’t made of glass. We won’t have a heart attack just from seeing your teeth or shatter if you touch us with your claws. I don’t want you to do anything. There isn’t anything about you that you need to hide. Not from me. I just want to see you. You aren’t even using your nose like a fox should. If I ask for anything it’s that I want you to stop not doing what is natural for who you are. You aren’t ready yet.” 

“WAIT! YES I AM!” He grabbed her paw as she pulled away from his chin and sighed. “I don’t know how to not-not do those things. Especially with a bunny.”

“I’m not just a bunny.” He leaned forward and curled his brow down as he caught the reflective lenses of her eyes flash and smirked as he shook his head.

“No, no you are not. But that’s what you feel like, what you smell li- he sniffed, and her head tilted as he leaned closer. “You smell like menthol.” His tone of voice shifted to worry laced with the scent of panic as she leaned closer watching his nose flaring. “Rabbits are as sensitive as foxes are, especially if it’s their nose or respiratory system. Are you sick?” 

“No. I’m not sick.” She giggled and pressed him back again. His head turned and his ears were flipped back as she nibbled on his neck. “But I’m glad you’re using your nose again. I’m using it so I can’t smell you as strongly. I told you I didn’t want to hurt you.”

“You’re so called curse? Maybe if you can help me remember how to be a fox, I can help you get a grip on that. I think it’s just something in your head you need to get around.”

“Mmm hmm.” She laid over his chest and watched him roll his eyes, petting his ears and biting her lip when the fur around his neck bristled. “Follow your nose.” She held a paw in front of him and closed her eyes as his breath rushed over her fingers. Concentrating on the scent in her nostrils as his nose tipped against her paw. Several slow motions back and forth and he was moving his head with her scent. He closed his eyes and froze as her fingers brushed against his lip, holding his breath again as her fingers ran along his mouth and turned his head cupping a paw around his muzzle with a grunt. “Let me see your teeth.” There was an uncomfortable shift in his breathing as she sighed. “Do you even know what you are doing with your paw around your mouth like that?”

“Keeping myself from hurting you.”

“I’m not afraid of your teeth or claws, Nick. I just want to see you.”

He let her open his mouth slightly and she ran her palm along his tongue, turning her thumb and brushing the roof of his mouth before she dragged it over his teeth. She giggled as he fought not to groan when he could taste just as much of her as he could smell. “You know most girls will get a grip on the first thing on a guy they want and not pay attention to the rest of him. I bet your ex didn’t pay much attention to the rest of you, did she?”

Nick scoffed as he moved his paws again. “Ok, the words ex, grip and paid are all instant flags for deflation and we’re going to have to work on you talking dirty.”

She giggled as she leaned up and grabbed both his ears in each paw. “You think I need words to talk dirty? Listen.” His eyes were floating around the pitch and Judy bit her lip as he lifted one brow. “Did you know that foxes can hear as well as rabbits do? Close your eyes. What do you hear?”

He couldn’t flip his ears back and forth searching for sound as she kept rubbing them between her fingers and thumbs. “I hear…your fingers in my ears.” Judy giggled again as she stopped moving her fingers and smiled as his face twisted. There was a crackling noise and his eyes snapped open, shifting her into a softer smile as he blinked a few times. Her eyes shifted to the top of the mattress watching his fingers untangle from the fabric he was twisting tight enough it sounded like plastic in her ears. She snickered again watching his ears tint brightly as they tipped back again.

“Open your paws for me.” He sighed and left them laying open above his head, jumping as he felt her claw tracing around the pad in his palm. His paw clamped around his muzzle fighting a growl and she pushed it away, locked her fingers with his. “You don’t belong in any kind of muzzle just because you’re a fox, Nick. You’re putting one on yourself every time you do that because someone made you think you needed to hide part of yourself. I just want to see you, please?” His eyes fell and she smelled the threat of tears, watching him swallow the lump in his throat. Another brush along his fingers and he sucked in a sharp breath that trapped his voice. “Don’t try to hide it. Let me see.”

“Easy for you to say when it’s so dark the shadows are winning more than I am here.” His fingers on his other paw opened and spread as she kept tracing around his pads, and the whine he had been trying to bury popped her ears as she scrunched her nose.

“How much good did it do to hide what you are and stay quiet? Words aren’t the only thing people can make hollow. Words can make us hollow if we let things other people say settle under our fur. We can disappear under all those words and no one can ever see who we are if we hide behind it. I want to see you, that’s what’s solid. Everything you do is empty if it isn’t backed with the truth of who you are. Show me how big and brave you are.”

He chuckled and turned his head as the claws she had been using to trace around his paw pads rushed up his arm and rolled through his neck. “I can show you how big something I have is, but I don’t think you’re going to call it brave because it’s really ugly.”

Judy’s head snapped back as she laughed. She could see him grinning as his eyes kept searching through the darkness and locking in the direction her voice was coming from, but he was still holding back and keeping his paws to himself. Which she knew was a good thing because even through the cloud of chemicals in her nose, she could still smell him well enough that she was fighting off her own demon. It wasn’t holding much sway over her while she kept watching him slowly unfold as her paws rushed back down his arms again. The only reason she hadn’t lost control was because she was honed in on the fact the he was tied in knots, and the anger she felt towards another rabbit was enough to keep her desire at bay as she looked back still seeing his tail locked under one of his feet.

Nick sucked in a breath as her paws slid over his collar bones and down his chest as she slipped lower. His head snapped up searching blindly when she growled as she moved past his torso, and he snatched his shirt pulling it down over his shorts when her paws wandered under it. “Let me see.” One quick brush of her teeth over the pad on his finger and he gasped, letting her push his paws away as he fell back again, cupping both paws to his head. She watched his cheeks puff out several times as her nose rooted through the fur on his belly and slid lower trying to avoid the tent of his shorts. A quick nip beside his hip and he slammed both paws over his muzzle, until he felt her gently nudging his elbows to move them away from his mouth again. Each time she tried to move his shirt he pulled at it trying to keep himself covered. 

Judy smiled as he cupped his head, blowing out another long breath. One of his knees popped up as her fingers ran back under his shirt and over each hip. Her paws slid down the inside of his thighs and she watched as his other foot pressed his tail into the mattress again. She curled her paws as she slid her arms into the legs of his shorts, moving slowly until her paws were peeking out from the elastic around his waist above his hips. He jumped several times as her fingers fanned out and rushed over the ridges of his ribs. Her blunt claws caused the muscles in his abdomen to tighten as he huffed and jerked with each nip around his hips and thighs. The cute ‘joke’ he had made was no joke, and was becoming another reason for her to grow a little angrier as he kept trying to hide the noises and everything else that should have come naturally for a fox. 

The doe moved a little slower as she slid her claws down his legs, over both knees and off the ‘bed’. One quick rush of her fingers along the bottom of his foot and he rolled over laughing after his toes had curled away from her claws. He was about to object to it until she grabbed the base of his tail, but the only sound he could make was an involuntarily growl as his hips shot into the mattress. His lips peeled back as they vibrated in a masculine purr and his paws had grabbed both edges and curled tightly into the thick fabric. She tipped her head to the side biting her lip again when his nose pointed up with his teeth locked together, showing them off in a low growl.

It wasn’t the kind of growl anyone should be afraid of and even though his arms were locked at his elbows and his eyes had slammed shut, this was closer to what he should be doing than anything she had seen so far. It was the first time he hadn’t tried to keep his teeth or claws hidden. She rushed her paws down his tail and watched as it finally puffed out and flipped back and forth several times. His head dropped when she jumped and straddled his back, curling her fingers into the thick fur behind his ears. She started by scratching around the back of his neck, and moved to his shoulders, and he finally fell out of tight locked muscles as she ran her cheek along the back of his neck. Giggling as his head dropped and rolled back and forth over the mattress while she scratched around under the back of his shirt just above each hip. That was, until the scent he was leaving all over the mattress hit her and she jerked away slamming a paw over her nose. She was going to have to move a little quicker if she wanted to keep herself from changing and scaring him to death- or worse.

Nick felt her claws dig in and move up the back of his thighs before they clamped into the fur on his rear end. He lifted when she gripped firmly around the base of his tail again and gave a small tug that pulled him to his knees. His head jerked down looking like he might see anything in the dark as her head somehow managed to move between his legs. Nipping at his skin and sending him into sharp yipping and grunts of excitement. If he’d had half a mind left, he would have noticed that her claws had grown three times longer and curled around the front of his legs, but he was too busy roiling to feel them as he lips raked over the inside of his thigh. His teeth locked together in another growl that slammed his head down as she nibbled around his inner thighs and the heat of her breath was enough of a whisper that each strand of fur was sending ripples of shivers and charged jolts through his body. Inhibition and restraint fled as her feet wrapped around his tail with her toes combing through his fur. He was still clutching each side of the mattress and fighting for air and his tongue hung out with each breath he heaved when her teeth sank into his leg next to his growing. Not enough to cause anything but a thrill that momentarily set him into ignorance that overlooked the glowing red eyes flashing back at him. She’d hit a nerve that tightened the skin of his sheath and he hissed in a breath of air through grit teeth as he lifted himself trying to see what she was doing. “H-How are y- Another nip and she clamped her teeth around a muscle and artery in his leg she kept pressing and releasing the pressure on, and his head snapped up in shock. The stunned expression that had one eye twitching vanished as his jaw fell. His eyes shot open when he felt himself moving in and out of his own tightened sheath and swelling at the same time. “OH GODS!” 

Wolford rolled over with his fingers on his closed eyes before his whole chest was jarring up and down. He threw his feet off the bed as he sat up and ran a paw down his face laughing. The walls weren’t paper thin in the apartment building, but he’d heard enough that he couldn’t stop laughing. In the span of just a year and a half, he’d never heard a sound from his partner’s apartment while he was dating the doe he’d moved in with after selling the house. Between the laughing, excited yips, growls and moans he could hear the fox making, he knew all he could do was throw his clothes on and leave because sleep wasn’t an option. (Of course, he had no idea half those growls weren’t coming from the fox.) He drove back to the bar still chuckling……….

Judy rushed out the window as Nick passed out in a ball of contented bliss. She dug the tubes and little vials out of her pockets and was rubbing them all over her nose until she felt the shift that left her sliding to a seated position on the cold steal stairs, relaxing as the heat in her ears faded. She took a few deep breaths of the night air and menthols letting her claws shrink before sliding back through the window, grateful he hadn’t seen what she’d just done and think she might have left after the fact. She kept her paw to her nose to keep as much of his scent away as she sat beside him, listening to him happily rumbling as she pet his ears. He tipped his head back and forth several times as his nose rested against her leg, his nostril flaring with the smile on his face growing each time he took another breath. She held his paw lightly as he tried to pull her into the bed with him. “I have to go.” 

“You’re leaving?”

His eyes opened on her and face fell as she touched her nose to his. “I won’t be far. I’ll be back tomorrow night. I can’t stay long with you smelling like this or I’ll get…out of paw.”

Nick tipped and brow and sighed. “Tomorrow? We’re working a swing shift. Twelve to twelve.”

“Tomorrow night. After it’s dark.”

“You’re coming back though, right? Promise?” Judy pulled his paw to her face nodding and curled her fingers around his as she let their paws fall to her lap. “You can stay here you know. I don’t want you in the rain or stealing food again. There are some things in the kitchen for you.” She squeezed his paw and moved it away from her face again after his knuckles ran over her cheek. If she had kept it on her face any longer, he may have noticed she was fighting tears as he curled his arms around her hips and let his head rest in her lap as he fell asleep. 

The anger at how a rabbit had treated a fox was threatening to send her into a flight of rage, but was also the only thing keeping her from becoming something far worse. Glowing red eyes looked back out the dark window, moving back and forth until the brow above them lowered angrily. It took her almost an hour to get calm enough to move after he was asleep. She slid away and let his head down on the mattress, petting his ears for a few minutes until he settled again. 

Finding a bathroom at this time of night could be difficult so it was taken care of before she headed back to the window. When she noticed several things had fallen off the counter from the wind rustling into the room, with a few quick grabs she laid them back on the counter. One receipt caught her attention and she cringed before grabbing the pills and stuffing them in her jacket pocket. She rushed out the window, climbing onto the roof and stood letting the rain drench her and pull away any scent she may have picked up on her clothes before looking around. A corner that was out of the wind was perfect to stay out of sight in and had a lip that would shield her from being seen. She set root, curling her arms around herself before falling asleep, and dreamt of fast-moving streets and building flying by, screaming voices and claws when she woke at someone nudging her.

Finnick looked down and shook his head. “Get up, ya better get that shit under control. I lost ya last night.”

Judy groaned as she rolled over. “You were following me?” He nodded as she stood up and dusted herself off. “I need to get back.”

“My vans around the corner. I couldn’t get it in here because of the fairgrounds.”

“Why are you following me anyway?”

He rolled his eyes and shook his head. He’d already looked up the county she’d mentioned and couldn’t find any little towns around it. Which meant she had either noticed he was trying to get information, or she had lied about at least one thing. “Cause the more I find out about how ya are when you’re like that, the easier it is to figure out how to keep it from happenin. Get in. I’ll drive you back.”

She cocked her head as he jumped in his van and sighed as she looked at the door. “You know where I was?”

“I been following ya since I seen ya at the open market. I’ve lost ya a couple of times. I got an idea or two about how ya can get it under control. Get in.” She scowled at him as he shrugged. “No skin off my teeth if ya don’t want help.”

Judy rolled her eyes and jumped in the van and Finnick drove her back to the apartment building. He parked on the other side of the street in an alley and watched her climb up the stairs and hop over the top of the building. The sun had just started coming up as she settled back into the same nook and closed her eyes. Her clothes were dry, and she felt exhausted as she curled into a ball and closed her eyes again. Finnick watched the building and the window he’d seen her crawling from earlier as the sun came up and started heating the asphalt.

Nick jarred as his phone rang and yawned as he picked it up from the floor. “Yeah?”

“You up yet? I’m on my way.” Wolford asked. 

“Yeah, I’ll be ready when you get here. Swing shifts are a pain in the ass.”

“No, you’re a pain in the ass.” Wolford growled as Nick rolled over chuckling.

“That’s why you’re the wife, Fort.” He hung up laughing. 

Wolford looked at his phone shaking his head. It took him another twenty minutes to get to the right district and he parked on the other side of the street, waiting as he picked through his phone. They had a bit of a tradition about getting biscuits and coffee before they worked a swing shift. While coffee was usually on hand and easy to grab, lunch hours weren’t set and keeping biscuits in the car would stave off hunger if they got busy. He sat taking occasional glances back to the door, waiting for his partner after putting the car in neutral.

Nick tapped on the door and held a jar of honey up as Mrs. Beesly answered. The bear took the jar happily and thanked him before he rushed off. Wolford sat his phone down as he looked back, his whole face going flat as a black furred bunny stepped out of a little Mazda. He opened the car door and stepped on the street as Nick came out the front door. The fox froze as the doe stood in front of him grinning. “Hi baby!”

“Baby?” Nick asked as he shook his head and stepped back as she hopped closer. Judy’s ears shot up as she heard Nick’s voice. She looked over the top of the ledge on the roof and her lip curled up as she caught sight of the dark furred doe in front of him.

Roxie moved closer and he flipped his ears back, gently pushing her away as she stuck a paw on her nose. “Get my boxes out of the car. But you should go take a shower and put your cologne on first. You stink and I don’t want my things smelling like that. If you hurry, I’ll even let you take your shirt off and pet my ears.”

“Are you delusional?” He asked as he shook his head. “You took everything, even the furniture that belonged to my mother. You made it pretty clear there was nothing to work with and that’s all I was to you when you left Rocks.”

“WHAT DID YOU CALL ME!? NICHOLAS WILDE- YOU KNOW BETTER THAN TO CALL ANY GIRL BY SOMETHING OTHER THAN HER NAME OR JUST LET THINGS FALL OUT OF YOUR MOUTH WITH ME! YOU APPOLOGIZE FOR THAT NOW!”

Nick cringed as Wolford stood beside the car shaking his head. Judy watched the wolf standing in a tight grimace as she jumped over the ledge and moved lower on the stairs without making a sound. “You’re right. I’m sorry, I shouldn’t have called you that.” Roxie smirked and pointed to her car and he shook his head. “No, I should have called you rock a dilly, but it’s too long and rocks doesn’t fit either because you never did that for my world. You just rolled over me like a speed bump.”

The doe narrowed her eyes and raised her paw as Wolford started walking across the street. The wolf caught movement and looked up watching Judy dropping lower, with her ears pinned to her back. He cocked his head to one side watching her stalking the doe in front of Nick. The fox’s ears tipped back as Judy fell from the fire escape and caught her wrist. Roxie looked back and scowled as Judy lowered her head and narrowed her eyes, still holding her wrist up as they locked eyes. 

Wolford’s ears shot up as a high-pitched sound sent a wave of unpleasant chills up his back. The wolf grabbed for his tranq gun with perked brows as he shook his head. The sound Judy was making wasn’t something new to a canine, but his reflexes had been too slow under the shock of hearing it coming from a rabbit. He’d had no intentions of intervening with Roxie unless she did something that would warrant him getting involved. At the moment, he was more concerned about the gray doe scowling at her. Nick’s eyes went wide as Judy’s lip started curling up. The dark furred doe pulled her other arm back and Judy let her teeth split. “NO STOP! DON’T TOUCH HER!” 

Nick jumped through them pulling Judy behind him and Roxie turned smiling. Judy stayed behind his back as she kept her head lowered and eyes on the other doe. The high-pitched whistle she was letting off was something only heard by canines and the chills going up his spine made his face twist as he fought not to react to a territorial warning that was overly aggressive, even for a fox. His ears tipped back, and he frowned as his tail wrapped around her legs. Judy peeked over his arm, half her face hidden as her arms curled around his chest.

Roxie laughed. “I think it’s funny you’re trying to protect her because you know I’ll use her to mop the floors. It just proves I’m better than her and she needs to leave. You are my fox.”

Nick sighed and rubbed his forehead. “I think the only reason you want me is because you can’t have me. As much as any guy wants to watch two girls fighting over him, I’m a cop and murder is illegal.” Roxie giggled as Judy kept glaring at her without blinking. “And I’d really hate to arrest her.”

Roxie’s face fell with her brows. “FOXES CAN’T HAVE MORE THAN ONE MATE!”

“You are not my mate. You made that clear.” Nick shook his head as Roxie balled her fists. Wolford tipped a brow and kept his eyes on Judy, with one paw on his tranq gun, watching her stiff frame and rigid stance as she braced her feet into the ground. Her tail was puffed out and her ears pinned to her back as her jaw stayed tight. “I’ll bow to the mighty if I need to, but it’s not going to work with you in front of me, and her standing behind me.” 

“YOU CAN’T HONESTLY TELL ME YOU ARE LEAVING ME FOR THAT LITTLE TRAMP!”

Nick sighed again. “If you want honesty, I think the only thing I have for you is that I’m one hundred percent positive I never had the kind of blue collar you want, and my eyes aren’t the right shade of green you like either. You really should just go back to your lawyer, because I really don’t have enough energy left for the kind of batteries you need.”

She scowled and raised her paw again as Nick’s ears pinned to his head. He kept his arm wrapped around Judy and griped a little tighter as her claws dug into his shirt. She was pressing into his back and ready to jump at the drop of a pin. Roxie tipped her head and caught Wolford tapping his badge in a sharp frown. “You’re going to regret this Nicholas Wilde!”

“Darlin, I’ve been regretting it for six months.”

She turned in a huff and screamed like a spoiled brat before she drove off letting her tires screech. 

Nick turned around and kept trying to get Judy to look at him as her attention stayed the same direction Roxie left in. “Judy?” Her fur had bristled up and the whistle stayed in force as Wolford cocked his head to the side watching him trying to get her calmed down. When her eyes stayed glaring the same direction the other doe left in, Nick looked off grinning as he leaned lower. “Hey Carrots, do you still want to see how big my Brave is? I’ll show you mine if you show me yours.” Her eyes snapped to him as the whistle died and he leaned over in a cheesy smile as he bounced his brow a few times. Her head flew back laughing and he chuckled as he brushed his fingers across her cheek. She grabbed his paw with hers grinning at him, and he notice his claws folded over against her fur. One finger uncurled and he took a chance scratching behind her ear with his claw.

Judy’s eyes popped and rolled into her head before they closed, and he looked at the pavement grinning as her foot thumped the ground in a rapid pattern. She let off a small yip and slammed both paws over her mouth as she looked up in shock with her cheeks flaring. “You’ve never done that before?” She shook her head blushing and he laughed as he pulled her closer. “Well don’t hide it. Let me see.”

Wolford’s jaw dropped as Judy pushed her nose under Nick’s chin. The doe gasped as he ran his muzzle over her head and blinked before she jumped up and licked his cheek. She turned and ran down the street with Wolford walking closer to Nick shaking his head. “That is one strange girl. Where’s she running off to?”

Nick shrugged as he held his paw to his cheek in a dopey grin. “She’ll be back. She likes me. Where’s my phone?”

Wolford snickered. “Phone’s fried. It wouldn’t come on this morning before I left to get the biscuits. I’ll say she does like you, the way she was at your neck.”

Nick chuckled as they both started walking to the car. “She’s done that a couple of times. Must be a rabbit thing I didn’t know about.”

Wolford tipped a brow as he slid into the car and shook his head as Nick closed his door. “A rabbit thing? No. A predator thing. She just marked you.” Nick looked back at him blinking as he nodded. “I’ve never heard of a bunny doing that. She rubbed her cheeks all over your neck.”

“That’s because bunnies don’t do that.” Nick glowed as he sucked in the scent of falling rain and wet dirt. The reason he hadn’t been able to get her scent out of his nose was because she had left it on him before he’d even tethered her. He just couldn’t feel it as anything other than her nose rooting around because her cheeks were so small when they brushed through his fur. He leaned back in a content sigh, shaking his head. “I really am right stupid.”

Wolford nodded as he chuckled. “Not going to argue with that. Worst case of puppy love I’ve ever seen.”

“Oh, don’t be like that, Fort. I still love you too, we just can’t sleep together anymore.” Wolford laughed as Nick winked at him and shook his head as they headed for the fairgrounds.

The car pulled away and missed a large van rolling out from an alley. Finnick turned the wheel going the opposite direction, keeping pace with Judy as she ran…...


	11. Anterior Bunnies Bravada

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Unlikely ally

Jack and Skye: Luke Bryon; Play it Again

Judy; Fifth Harmony; Sledgehammer*

A manilla folded landed on the desk with a flap and Jack fell into the chair shaking his head. “Two years, two years worth of work and its undone in one day. He was supposed to be in solitary confinement until I got there so I could find out who was behind this! How the hell did that happen?”

Skye sighed as she sat down on the other side of the desk and looked at the file. “It’s not clear yet, Jack. He was found in his cell by the guards, but they aren’t sure if it was another inmate or if he did it himself.”

“There is no way he could have done that to himself, Skye. Doug Ramses was the key to finding out who was trying to start the Night Howler case. Even if he was lying about it, we still don’t know where he was getting the plants. They’re a controlled growth and distribution substance that can only be purchased by farmers who have a license. There aren’t too many people who know they have that effect on mammals. We may never know any more than what he already told us.”

“He could have been trying to get a good deal, Jack.”

“That has crossed my mind.”

“What are you wanting to do? We can still use the identity you built for something else. Maybe it will help if you go in anyway and find out who he was talki- The vixen stopped as the phone rang and watched him pick it up and narrow his eyes after he stuck it to his ear. 

“Yes, it is.” He sat up and his ears shot straight. Skye watched him lower his brow as his eyes shifted out of focus. The frame of his body stiffened as he shook his head with a frown. “You’re sure it’s not a copycat?” A few moments of silence and he sighed as he leaned back in his chair nodding. “How many know about it?” His eyes ticked around, and he nodded as Skye leaned over watching. “Keep it as quiet as you can and make sure the press doesn’t get wind of it. I’ll have to stay out of sight until we figure out a cover from the last case I was working on.” He blinked looking around and nodded slowly. “It might be a good spin and keep the public from panicking, yes. No, I don’t have a problem with it. If that’s how you want to make it appear. It’s not like I can use the identity for anything else now. If the press gets wind of it just tell them that story. A couple of hours? Not a problem at all, Chief Bogo.” He hung up with Skye perking her ears as he grabbed a pen and stuck it inside the brace on his wrist. 

She shook her head and grabbed it giving him a dirty look. “You only get itchy when something makes your skin crawl. Don’t put anything inside that cast again or I’ll bite your ears.”

Jack smirked as he leaned forward. “You already did that. Want to do it again?”

Skye giggled as he held one ear out in front of her. She smacked it away making him scrunch his shoulders as he threw his paws up snickering. “What’s Chief Bogo want? It must be pretty bad if he called and asked you to get involved. He hates the bureau stepping on his toes and taking over his cases.”

Jack took a deep breath and started scratching around the brace on his arm. “The Demon is back.” Her face fell as he shook his head.

“How long has it been since the last one?” She asked as Jack looked around.

“A few years, I think. I’ll have to look into the file to make sure. He doesn’t want many of his officers knowing about it when it happens because so many left the force over the cases. Eats the wolves more than the rest of them.”

“How many were there all together?” Jack grabbed the mouse on his desk and the screen came to life as Skye sat back in her chair. 

“Looks like Twenty-three so far, not including this one if he’s right. Four of them were cops. He listed them as cold cases and has called us in on every one of them after the first officer was killed.”

“Do you remember anything about the cases that might help?” 

Jack shook his head. “It’s been several years since the last one and I sent other agents to the scenes. There was only one thing about any of the crime scenes that stood out to me, and not even the wolves seemed to notice it. There was always a funny smell around the- 

He sat up as Skye tipped her ears. “Jack?” 

The buck’s nose twitched a few times as his cheek ticked up. “I’ve smelled it since the last time I looked at one of the crime scenes. Like everything got heated up in the area. Something dangerous and out of control. I just didn’t remember what the smell was at the time. I do now.” He was looking around as the vixen pressed his shoulder.

“Something can smell dangerous and out of control?” She shook her head as he picked up the phone. “You’re going to have to tell me what kind of fox it was in your family line, Jack.”

He hit the buttons on the phone and ticked his eyes back to her. “He was a black and white striped Arctic Marble Fox. Probably why I was so attracted to an arctic vixen.” 

“Was?” She asked with a sharp tone and giggled as he turned his head and looked her over from head to toe.

“Am still and I- He stopped mid-sentence as the line was picked up. “Hello, I need to speak with Chief Bogo.” He rolled his eyes as he leaned back in his chair. “It’s Jack, Clawhauser. He already left? No there’s no message, but hey can you tell me about another officer? Nick Wilde. No, it’s about another case, he’s not in any kind of trouble. I’ll talk to Bogo when I get there.” He sat listening and Skye stuck the pen back in a holder on the desk. Jack hung up as she folded her arms over the desk and perked her brows. “That bunny I told you I met in holding. That’s where I’ve smelled it before.”

“Jack, why didn’t you say something to Clawhauser? You should have asked about her at least?! You left that guy exposed to a possible serial killer!”

Jack shook his head. “He’s at the fairgrounds with a dozen other officers and out in public. It’s not the Demon’s M.O. to attack around crowds. If I had said something it may have gotten back to her and I don’t want her getting wind of it. She’s already proven difficult to get a lock on.” The vixen tilted her head as Jack scratched around his arm again. “There’s not a lot of information I could find on her. She graduated about twelve years ago and her family listed her as a missing person about five years ago. It almost seems like she intentionally kept a low profile before she disappeared. No online accounts, no email addresses, no furbook page, no blogs. Nothing. I had someone call her family and ask about her, but they were…...strange about it. The agent talked to Stuart Hopps. I listened to the recording of the conversation. He wouldn’t even give an exact date of when she disappeared, why she left or when the last time they had talked to her was. Even after he was baited with her being in jail and an offer of possibly getting some help for her from the city under aid programs, he clammed up. The more questions he was asked, the less he talked. Her father seemed like he was more afraid of us finding her than her family is worried about getting her home.”

“That might be because she’s like you, Jack.”

The buck shook his head as he turned in the chair. “It may be one of the reasons they don’t want her found by someone else. Anterior Rabbits are rare, and some families try to keep them hidden, but it’s not the impression I got from listening to the conversation. She may be part rabbit and part fox, but she’s something else too.”

“How did you get any information on her?”

Jack smirked and sighed. “Clawhauser deleted the files, but he forgot to delete the recycling bin at his station. It wasn’t that hard to find.”

“How long ago did the cases start in Zootopia?” 

“Not long after she got out of school.”

“Jack, we should at least tell someone to keep an eye on him.”

“No, it might cause more problems for Chief Bogo. Half of Precinct One is made up of wolves and if they’re on guard it will only make things worse. Clawhauser said Bogo was stopping by the fair to check on things before he came this way.” The buck smirked as she held a paw out waiting. “He had the idea that since I’m Jack the Savage they could arrest me and tell the press I’m helping them work on a case. Tell them I got caught last night so if anything gets out, I was in lockup before it happened. What better way to catch a murderer than have another murderer who has done something similar looking at the case for them? We can spin it so that it looks like I‘m trying to make a deal for better time and there won’t be any questions asked if they take me to a crime scene.”

Skye crossed one leg over the other and rolled her eyes. “Great, who knows how long it will be this time. You know how hard it is for a vixen to be that far away from her mate, Jack.” The buck smirked as he stood up and walked around the desk, grabbing both arms of her chair as he leaned over. Skye looked up at him and narrowed her eyes as he licked his lips. “If you say what I think you’re going to say, Jack, I’ll…”

“What is it you think I’m going to say, Skye?” He asked as he nipped one of her ears, sending her shivering as he chuckled.

“Rabbits…” she growled as she crossed her arms.

“I’m not just a rabbit.”

“I know.” She frowned and rolled her eyes as he snickered. “You look like one, you talk like one, half the time you act like one.” Jack smirked as she looked up at him. “The other half the time you and act like a fox. The body of a meek little rabbit and the soul of a fighting fox. I’ve still never seen another rabbit run headlong into things like you do.”

“That’s because the predator genes in my species are pushed to the front and negate the fear most rabbits still have in certain circumstances. Do I seem meek to you? I thought you liked that I was part fox.”

She looked at him grinning before she ticked her eyes to the ceiling. “You aren’t meek and I’m ‘knot’ complaining, am I?”

Jack laughed as his head flew back and he leaned closer until they were eye to eye. “What was it you think I was going to say, Skye?”

“Oh, I’m sure it was along the lines of Combining and bundling haybales in knots, or kneading dough, working the fields…” 

Jack snickered as she narrowed her eyes again. “There are benefits to being both you seem to like. I think we’ve been together too long if you can read my mind like that. I can spin an angle on this so you can be closer this time, maybe we can find something to tide you over until this case is finished. I’m sure this good old boy can put some sugar in your dixie cup.” Skye looked off grinning and shaking her head as Jack leaned closer chuckling. “You can be the annoying reporter who follows us around and ends up getting exclusive interviews. You can keep your real name, no one remembers reporters who fall off the radar.” Her eyes snapped open as he clamped onto the back of her neck and pulled the scruff between his teeth. Skye hissed as her arms curled around him and brushed her head along the inside of his neck. He pulled away looking at her grinning before he bunted his head against her, returning the gesture. “We should go get my jumpsuit though.”

The vixen sighed as he stood up and nodded. “If I’m going this time, I’ll have to be careful about what I call you. But I suppose the codename Savage is close enough to Savalde that I can remember it. I hate that we’re going to be sleeping in different beds again. I won’t be able to talk to you or listen to you singing in the shower.”

“I still love to think about your legs hanging off the back of that truck bed the first time we met. Maybe I can sneak my guitar in and play for you while we’re there. You want to jump bales or is it leapfrog this time?”

Skye laughed as he bounced his brows. “Play it again. I’ll let you pick. Orange doesn’t look good on you though, that jumpsuit is terrible, Jack.”

He smirked as she giggled and shook her head. “The only thing this Jack wants to jump right now is you. I can’t do that here or have your scent on me if I’m going back into lock up. So, we should water the crops while we’re harvesting. Kill two birds with one stone. I’ll get your heart racing again, heat up the oven.” 

She left the chair with him watching as she opened the door and looked down the hall. “My bird does like your stones. You won’t have to heat much because I’m already turned on, but I’ll race you to the showers?” She bit her lip as he chuckled. 

“I’ll give you a head start so you can free the bird.” He smirked as she ran out of the room and counted to ten before he rushed out the door chasing after her…………

Chief Bogo looked around and folded his paws behind his back as Jack and Skye stepped into the room. “I see you already took the liberty to dress the part. I have a transport waiting outside. I’ll ride with you in the holding area and debrief you on the case.” He looked around and tipped a brow when no one else joined them. “Where is your agent who does the transfers?”

Jack shook his head. “Not necessary under the circumstances. If you’re bringing us in on the case again, we don’t need any more people around that might draw more attention. Winter’s will be following us to the station. I have a cover for her and there are some things I need to disclose too.” 

Bogo nodded and they made their way to the van, taking a seat across from each other. He closed the doors as Jack watched Skye getting in her car to follow them. “These are photos from the last crime scene. A younger giant otter. Same M.O. as the others. Nothing left at the crime scene in the way of evidence.”

Jack looked over the pictures shaking his head. “I happened to bump into someone while I was in lockup I was wondering if you could tell me anything about. Well, more about the officer who let her go anyway.”

Bogo sighed. “Wilde.” 

Jack looked up with a small grin as Bogo shook his head. “I turn a blind eye because he’s only done it a few times and it’s never for anything serious. Filling out the paperwork and disciplining for that would take more time than it’s worth and with the fair in town I need all my officers. Is something about the one you met important?”

“I’m not sure yet. I just thought she seemed unusual.” Bogo cocked his head to the side and raised his chin looking at Jack. “She’s an Anterior Rabbit too.” When Bogo looked back at him with a downed brow, Jack shook his head. “Not like me. She’s a red fox descendant. I was just curious about her. There aren’t many of us around you know.” 

Bogo nodded as he leaned back against the truck and pointed to his arm. “What happened to your arm?” Jack scratched his head as Bogo leaned over leering at him. “I asked for your help on this case. We don’t have problems with our departments like a lot of others do because of this little relationship and these cases. Don’t create one, Savalde.”

The buck nodded as he huffed. “You already saw the video from gen pop?” Bogo nodded as he pursed his lips. “She got my attention. I was trying to make sure she didn’t get hurt. She definitely didn’t need me protecting her.”

“I saw that. It’s also one of the reasons I haven’t brought it up to Wilde. He put her in the wrong cell so this could go sour if she comes back claiming a case against the department because of you or the other inmate there she had an altercation with. With the video I have it…it would just be messy no matter how it happened. My officer’s personal lives are their own but if it happens in my station, I know about it even if they think I don’t.”

Jack nodded as he folded the papers over. “She won’t get too far from your fox officer if what I smelled was right.” Bogo tipped a brow as Jack sat up and blinked. 

“What you smelled?”

The rabbit started grinning and chuckled. “Stupid. Now I know why she did it.”

“Elaborate.” Bogo barked and Jack’s ears shot up as he stuck a finger out.

“I thought I set her off, but he did. I just pushed the wrong button because she was already lit.”

Bogo rubbed his temples and shook his head. “I saw what she did to you and that wolf. If one of my officers is in trouble, I need to know. Is she dangerous? Are any other Anterior rabbits like you that strong?”

“I’m not sure yet on either of those questions, Chief. Our species is known for not getting too close to others and avoiding physical contact. I do know she’s intelligent and knows who I am. It’s another reason she’s a person of interest.”

“Do I need to have someone watching Wilde, or put out an alert to have her picked up?”

“If you alert one of your officers, they’ll all know. If there’s a possibility she has something to do with this, I don’t want her running off. If she’s still around it may be better to just ask her to come in and talk. I’m pretty sure she won’t get too far from him unless he tells her to.”

“Why?” Bogo growled as he leaned over frowning. 

Jack smirked as he looked up at Bogo. “She’ll wait, until he tells her yes or no. That’s how it works for foxes when they find someone they want as a mate.”

The bull’s eyes went wide before he face palmed. “Just…look through the case files and tell me if you see anything new. I’ll call the witnesses and let them know the Ramses case won’t be going to court.”

“Good idea. You’re not going to have the prosecuting attorney take care of that?”

“Not all of them, no.” Bogo mumbled as he looked through the papers. “A couple are personal friends I’d like to let know about Doug Ramses, so they aren’t hearing it over the news.”

“It will probably go public within a few hours. Who would that be?” Jack asked as he looked through the file. 

“Mayor Lionheart and his assistant Dawn Bellwether. Everyone else can find out through the news.”

Jack leaned over as they stopped at a red light and looked out the window. “We might be able to use their help with this too. If the press believe Winter’s is working with the mayor’s office, it could help us.” Bogo nodded his agreement and Jack looked out the window scowling at the sight of what he considered a tasteless mural of a wolf holding a vixen. The dark brown caught his eye before he returned to the file again…..

Finnick held the steering wheel shaking his head in disgust. He waited for the light to change before he pulled down the street next to an older restaurant. The door to the van slammed as he scowled, watching Judy crawling out of a dumpster covered in filth. The bunny slid down the side panting with her tongue out before she fell over gasping. “Ya know you’re just damn pathetic?” She jumped as she looked up and found him leaned over her head. “What a waste of ya got with that and ya aint even usin it to its full potential. Stupid waste of energy fallin for somebody like that, but I guess ya can’t really help it can ya?”

Judy groaned as she ran her paws down her face and glared up at him scowling. “Why don’t you just-Buck Off?” 

Finnick’s angry scowl slowly lifted into a grin as he started chuckling. “Well now, that kinda language might be interestin to learn. Got anything else that’ll make me laugh harder at ya? Might be worth helpin ya just to get some good vibes goin.” She grumbled as she sat up and flung her arms out. He threw his paws up shielding his face and turned his head before he was growling. “I aint to keen on ya getting in my van smellin like that.”

“Why would I go anywhere with you anyway? You dirty perverted little-

He lifted a brow and looked her over shaking his head. “Ya aint got no room to talk about anything dirty right now. Cept maybe ya can tell me what it is he did this time that got ya all worked up?” When she looked at him with one cheek tipped up and lifted herself leaning into the dumpster he shrugged. “Make me laugh and I help ya, If not you’re on your own.”

She fell forward sighing as she ran her paw down one of her ears. “The way he smells. It’s like…” Finnick set a sneaky smirk on one side of his lips as she shivered. “Ugh, I’d love to peel him and let him make me into a loaf of banana bread.”

The small fox sucked in a breath as his eyes ticked to the side thinking before he was hissing at her. “I’m sure he’d turn you into a banana split with whipped cream and cherries too! With nuts on it. And ya think I’m perverted? Hahaha! Get in the van. I told ya I got a way to help with that.” He was still chuckling as she crawled into the passenger side. She slumped into the seat dropping her head into her paws. “I pulled some strings and got a place for ya to go when ya got that problem.”

She looked at him narrowing her eyes as he shot her a nasty grin. “Strings?”

“Nothin for ya to worry about. I got people I can ask for shit if I need to.”

She growled as he put his attention back on the road. “At what cost, and why?”

“Nothin that’ll come back to ya, so it don’t matter.”

She growled and rolled her eyes as he snickered. Judy looked around as they pulled into an old parking lot. A pink abandoned house sat on one side of a large overgrown field beside an old factory that looked like it had been empty for years. A large domed roof sat over the building with missing sections of steel roofing that had rusted away. She left the car and looked around, spotting a small bridge that led to an empty field. “If it makes ya feel any better this is where your boy stayed when he was in trouble.” He pointed to the little bridge and watched her walking to it before she stopped looking over the side. 

“Why would he stay here?”

“Stupid kit got himself into some trouble when he was around fifteen. Needed somewhere to hide. I kept him out here for a few weeks til his mamma came lookin for him.”

“Why would you do that?”

“I had my reasons at the time. Get over here.” Judy walked back to where he was as he picked up a garden hose. “Strip.”

She growled at him shaking her head. “I will put my foot so far up your cornhole people will think my toes are your tongue, Finnick.”

He almost choked on the laugher as he folded in half and wiped away a tear shaking his head. “I think if ya keep talkin like that this might be worth it. Aint nothin I aint seen already. If this is gonna work I need nothing but the way you smell in your fur.” He pulled a small bottle out of his pocket and tossed it at a her. “What the fuck, are ya shy now? I know you aint got none of that menthol I gave you left.” She pulled everything from her pockets looking at the key Nick had given her and left it sitting with the bottle of pills she had taken off the counter. Finnick tipped his head looking at the bottle. “That the ones ya was talking about?” Judy nodded as she pulled off her jacket and undid her pants. Finnick rolled his eyes and turned them another direction as she glared at him. “Why don’t cha just take them things if ya know you’re gonna be around him?”

“Because I can’t remember everything that happened while I was taking them. I have to have my memory jogged before I can remember it, and I know if something happens it’s not something I’ll want to forget. I also don’t want to look, act or feel like a brainless bunny bimbo. There are enough of those stereotypes already.”

Finnick nodded as he turned back and smirked as she stood in the fur. “Get some of that soap in your paws.” He shook his head as she opened the bottle and squeezed some into her fur.

“What is this?”

“Baby shampoo. It will strip everything from your fur. It doesn’t leave a scent, won’t irritate sensitive skin and won’t damage fur. Get a move on. If we’re going to test this, we need to know how long it’s going to take to curb it before ya see him again.”

“Well that will be a while because he’s-

“Working a double. I know. Also know right where he’s going to be the rest of the day.”

She snapped her attention to him and away from the lather she had created as her teeth split. Finnick tipped a brow as she snarled. “Why?” 

He shook his head smiling. “Because I’m gonna take ya to him after this to see if it works.”

“If something happens to him, I’m going to turn you into a corpse.”

Finnick groaned as he held out the hose letting her grab some water. “I’d love to be a good stiff, but I’m already dead from the waist down.” He handed her the hose as she held out her paw, watching her take it and rinse herself off before he turned off the water. “You can go lay on that lawn chair over there and get sun baked to dry off.”

Judy looked at him blinking and he cocked his head as she giggled. “I think I’d have to spread eagle for that, and it still wouldn’t work.”

Finnick shook his head and shrugged. “I aint got no idea what you just said but, whatever floats your boat.”

She sprawled out over a lawn chair and let the sun warm her fur and turned over catching Finnick grabbing a small container from the van. “What are you making?”

“Something that’ll make ya nose blind until we get in there. I need ya completely blind too so ya can put this over your eyes.”

Judy scrunched one side of her lip watching him folding several bandanas. “Why would I let you do that? I don’t trust you.”

Finnick nodded as he looked back at her with a shrug. “Same reason ya came in the first place. What choice ya got? Circumstances aint changed and if ya don’t get control of that ya can still wake up with him half eaten. Want that instead?” She cringed as he smirked. “Ya dry enough?”

Judy sighed as she stood up and came closer. She looked around at the building shaking her head. All the windows had been boarded over and sealed with caulking. Her nose was wiggling trying to smell anything, but the only things she could pick up were the grass and thick scent of pond water on the air. “Here. Tie one over your eyes like a blindfold and keep this one against you nose and mouth until I get ya where ya need to go.”

Judy scowled as she took each one and covered her face. She nearly gagged at the scent of the thick mint and menthol covering her mouth and nose. “Hold your paw out. I’m gonna grab ya and take ya inside.” Finnick snickered as he grabbed her paw and led her through several door. “Stop. No matter what, don’t take them off until I tell ya too. I want ya to take a step up and use the top of your foot to catch the next step so ya don’t trip on the stairs. There’s a rail on the right.”

Finnick waited until she had one paw on the rail and kept talking until they had climbed several flights. The little fox halted her at the top and had her hold a paw out. Judy walked forward half bent over as he grabbed her paw again and led her to a spot where he asked her to turn slowly and wait. “I gotta move something so I’m at your level. Might be loud. Just stay right here, don’t move and keep those on.” 

Her ears rotated back and forth as she heard metal being dragged across the floor. Finnick walked up a little flight of stairs that looked like something similar to flight stairs for an airplane. He stood face to face with her as he looked over her shoulder and smirked. “O.K. I want ya to take off the blindfold, but not the scent masker.”

Judy let the blindfold fall and looked around behind Finnick, furling her brow. It was an empty space, filled with cabinets that were lined with boxes left so long ago they were covered in a thick layer of dust. “What is this place and how is it going to help me get this under control?” The doe looked back at him as his smile kept growing and he grabbed the scented fabric she was holding as he lifted his foot.

“I’m real curious about this, cause I didn’t know red foxes could howl.” Her eyes snapped to him as her face fell. He kept a sneaky grin as she lowered her brow and he pointed at his ears. Judy grumbled and rolled her eyes he nodded. “Worked didn’t it? What all ya willin to do to get him, make sure ya aint the one hurtin him?” She deflated and he cocked his head, still grinning as he nodded. “Look up.” 

Judy lifted her eyes and let her head fall back, scanning the metal sheets that had holes pouring light into the darkened area. “What am I looking for? There’s nothing here!”

“You’re here. I want to know if a bunny who’s part fox can howl. Let’s see how big your brave is.” Judy’s eyes flew open as he gripped the fabric over her nose and shoved his foot into her chest. Her arms flailed out as she fell, until she landed with a thump and sucked in a scent that had her scrambling up against the wall as she covered her mouth. One glance up revealed Finnick grinning as he tilted his head to the side and chuckled. She held her breath with both paws covering her nose and mouth. “You can hold your breath until ya pass out, but aint no way ya can get out unless I lower the rope. Can’t hurt anybody here and all this will do is wear you and that demon ya got out.” 

Judy had gone into hysterical panic as her eyes scanned the room. No windows, no walls, no doors. The soft damp material she had fallen into clung to her fur. He was nowhere near where she was standing, but his scent was. The scent she was trying to avoid was everywhere. Her heart was hammering in her chest as she finally sucked in a breath of air that instantly slammed her against the wall as her claws started growing. A fire started burning through her veins like a fever as she broke out in a heavy sweat. “Sweet baby carrots!” She gasped as she glued herself to the wall.

Finnick lifted a brow and watched her fighting the shift. He cocked his head to one side and lifted a brow grinning as her ears shortened. Her fur nearly disappeared and purple eyes shifted to glowing red as small horns started growing from above each eyebrow. He laughed as she snarled and started clawing at the walls trying to get away. “Might as well dive in there gurl, cause you aint goin nowhere. If this is what ya think he smells like, he’s right here, but he aint so ya aint got nothin to worry about. This is as close as ya can get, bein this far apart. Aint no stopping it now. If this is what gets your fires goin, get that shit circulatin and let it take over.”

“FINNICK! THROW THE ROPE DOWN AND GET ME OUT OF HERE!” She growled.

Judy was bouncing off the walls as he snickered. He fell over laughing when she scrambled all over the space on all fours trying to get away from her own paws and the dark stains from the blueberries scattered everywhere. He heard her growling and lifted a brow as he rolled over and stuck his nose off the landing. The small fox watched her dive headlong into a thick layer of broken shredded woodchips that squashed blueberries when she dug in, burrowing under the top layer before she vanished under several feet of gardening mulch…...


	12. Fair Game Furgen

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Past and Present History collide

(Medley Mix- Michel Te Pegro; Ai Se Te Pego – If I Catch You-/Shakira- Try Everything)*

Judy moaned as her brow scrunched together. She opened her eyes slowly and found Finnick looking at her as he sat on the ground in front of her. The overhead was dark and large lights had been turned on indicating a significant amount of time had passed since they arrived around one in the afternoon. The first movement she tried to make was lifting her chest with her arms. The motion set her muscles on fire as they gave out and caused her arms to fall limp beside her. She groaned as she tried to lift her face from the ground. “Ughhh. How long have I been here and what time is it?”

Finnick chuckled as she looked over her back and caught the dark red jacket over her shoulder. “It’s almost twelve.” When her eyes grew, he shook his head. “Midnight, you didn’t miss him. He gets off at noon tomorrow. I’d say that about did it in. Now we gotta see how long it takes for it to take over again. I had your clothes washed.”

“You put this over me?” He nodded as she curled a paw around the jacket covering her. “Why?”

Finnick shrugged as he tipped his head to the rope hanging over the ledge he had pushed her over. “Just cause I got a dirty mind don’t mean I don’t know how to treat ladies right. That’s a whole different kind of pervert and the ones that need a bullet in their heads. I just needed everything outta you’re fur so this was all ya could smell and your clothes were covered in filth again. Ya been out for a few hours. Wore yourself to a frazzle. Your dress is over there. When ya got enough energy to climb up that rope and get outta here I’m taking ya to the fair.” He stood up and walked back to the rope as she lifted her head from the ground looking around. 

“I can’t go like this. I need a shower.”

Finnick shook his head. “That aint a good idea. There’s some stuff to clean the blueberries outta your fur next to the dress, but if I was you, I’d get used to smellin this and smellin like it. You smell like this and the way he smells won’t bug ya as much. I’ll be waitin in the van. Just climb up the rope and follow the stairs out the door.” He cocked his head to one side and smirked as he stepped closer again. “Since you’re in here and this smell aint driving ya anymore, let’s do a little test with that imagination of yours, see if this really put that to sleep.”

Judy growled a complaint as she managed to sit up and rubbed her aching arms. “O.K?”

“What’s the thing ya want to do the most with him?”

“Bobbing for Apples and making hot apple cider.” She answered as she leaned back on her arms.

Finnick scrunched his face up and shook his head. “What?”

She snapped her eyes on him in a flat face before she rolled her eyes. “Apples and Bananas.”

“Ya want to make a fruit salad or something?”

Judy smacked a paw to her face and sighed as she handed him the dress. “Leave that up there for me. I can’t climb a rope wearing a dress. Bucks have stalks and cobs. All canines, including foxes have Apples and Bananas.” 

He looked off in thought and shook his head. “I got the banana bit, but how the hell do apples have anything to do with it?”

She locked eyes with him as he lifted both brows. “Red, delicious, and bobbing for apples.”

He clutched his guts as he cackled. “The hot apple cider is…” She fell back cupping her head as he fell over laughing. “Oh shit, this is definitely worth the trouble.” He went back to the rope as she fell back groaning again. After he reached the top, he left her dress and shouted as he reached the stairs. “Not even a spark with that thought was there?” 

Judy’s eyes shot open as a smile slowly spread over her face. She pumped an arm up and pulled it back screaming. “YES!” She pulled a large section in front of her, inhaling the scent and sighed as she let her head fall.

Finnick chuckled as he heard her and made his way back to his van, waiting for her to join him again. 

Judy brushed her fur out after standing away from the edge and the rope she climbed. She threw the dress and red jacket over it and made her way to the stairs, careful to keep hold of the rail as her legs wobbled. The horn blared and she shielded her eyes as Finnick turned the headlights on. “I appreciate that, but I didn’t need the light, you nearly blinded me.”

Finnick looked her over skeptically as he leaned back in the seat. “I didn’t think rabbits could see that well at night.”

“It’s an old wives’ tale. We see fine at night and I’m not all rabbit. I can probably see better than you can.”

“What exactly are ya then? I mean I know ya said ya was part fox but it aint exactly politically correct to call anybody a half breed.” He pulled away from the parking lot after she got comfortable in the seat and closed the door. 

Judy looked around as he started driving back towards town. “They call my kind Anterior Rabbits, but technically I’m a Furgen.”

Finnick looked at her smirking and ran his eyes from her head to her toes. “No way in hell are you a-”

“FURGEN! Not virgin! They got tired of trying to classify different mammals born between species the last hundred years or so because every time they are born to a full or half-blood, they are a new species. They are a first generation no matter what species their parents are. First Generation-Fur-gen. The only reason I am classified as something else is because of what happens with rabbit and predator mixes over several generations of time. People think we are…” She shrugged as she looked out the window. “Creepy, I guess.”

“Freaky, maybe.” Judy snapped back to him and watched him bounce his brows. “Good freaky, not creepy though.”

She looked out the window grinning and he chuckled as her ears pinked slightly. “Now that’s a sight. Seein a bunny really blush. Very cute that ya can still do that or that anything can embarrass ya considerin how your kind grow up. Looks good on ya though.” He snickered as he started slowing down and leaned forward shaking his head. “Damn tourists. We’re gonna have to do some walking with that concert bein tonight.”

“Concert?” Judy asked and her ears set high as she looked around. 

Finnick parked the van on a little dirt patch next to a large field and shook his head. “Don’t ya pay any attention to the news or somethin? Gazelle is here with a bunch of other bands. It’s her last performance for the fair this year and it’s free for anyone to get in tonight. That’s why it’s so damn congested right now.” He pulled the keys and jumped out waiting for her and started walking when she was a few feet behind him. As the crowds got thicker, he watched her shrinking away from mammals stepping around them and dropped a few steps until she was at his side again. “Relax would ya? Aint no body gonna hurt ya here.”

“That’s not what I’m worried about.”

Finnick chuckled as they waded through several food carts and stands shaking his head. “If you’re part red fox, I’d think the only one you’d be worried about is yours.”

“What do you mean?” she asked as he halted grinning at her. He pointed and she turned catching Nick standing in uniform with several other officers. The crowd roared around a water fountain when Gazelle came out in a signature red outfit surrounded by tiger dancers. 

Finnick leaned against the food stand folding his arms over his chest.

Judy’s ears dropped and her face lit up when she spotted Nick. She didn’t notice Wolford had caught sight of her as Nick stood talking to Fangmeyer and Snarlov. “MS. JUDY!” She jerked to the left in shock as arms wrapped around her.

Nick turned at the shout and Wolford cringed as he watched the larger red fox drop to a knee and wrap his arms around Judy. His ears dropped as his face fell into a deep frown. Snarlov and Fangmeyer cringed. Wolford sighed as he tapped Nick’s shoulder. “I’m going to get us something to eat. Our lunch relief just took over.” Nick nodded but didn’t take his eyes off Judy and Gideon. The larger fox tipped back holding her paws and he could see they were in a deep conversation as Judy brushed several tears away from her face. He ticked his eyes to the side as Gideon wiped her face off when she leaned into his paw. Nick’s ears perked back up when she took the jacket from her shoulders and tried to give it to Gideon. The larger fox smiled shaking his head as he pushed it back to her. Another glance up and the country fox held up an arm waving for someone behind an area he couldn’t see. Judy turned and her expression brightened as a little black ewe rushed into her arms. 

Snarlov and Fangmeyer glanced at each other with a bit of curiosity as Nick started grinning ear to ear. When he stuck both paws on his hips and his tail started swaying back and forth everyone kept their eyes on the rabbit, fox, and sheep he was watching. Wolford had returned and was watching with narrowed eyes. The little black ewe grabbed the larger fox’s paw and she spun like a doll under his arm before she stepped into his chest and bunted her head under his chin. Judy cupped both paws over her mouth grinning and giggled when Gideon returned the same affection. Nick turned away chuckling as Wolford handed him a chicken sandwich. 

“That your bunny, Nick?” Fangmeyer asked as Wolford passed out the containers he was holding. 

“Yeah. That’s her. Her name’s Judy.” He looked up grinning as Wolford sighed and shook his head pointing to his sandwich. He had just chomped into it when he was nearly knocked over by the arms that wrapped around him. Snarlov and Fangmeyer chuckled as he turned around keeping a paw over the mouth full of food he was chewing, trying to hide his teeth.

Judy ticked her eyes to the sandwich and Nick’s ears flipped back as he swallowed. She had a light grip on his wrist and bit her lip with an uncomfortable look on her face. “Can I…” 

Wolford shook his head and threw an arm up as he rolled his eyes. Nick sighed as he looked around. “Uhm, yeah, there’s a trash can ri-

When she pulled his arm down and took a huge bite, Fangmeyer, Snarlov and Wolford all stood gaping. Nick’s jaw fell as she covered her mouth and rolled her eyes humming. “Oh, that’s sooo good.” Nick blinked a few times before he was grinning as she grabbed a chunk of tartar sauce from her lip and licked it off her finger. 

He tried to hand her the rest of it and she shook her head. “You should eat. It’s your lunch and I already ate. I just haven’t had chicken for a while.” She pushed it back to him and pulled his paw away as he tried to cover his mouth. “Let me see.” The fox chuckled as he bit into the sandwich with her biting her lip as she watched his teeth.

“You eat meat?” Fangmeyer asked.

Nick chuckled and yelped as Wolford flicked his ear and shook his head. Already knowing what the fox was thinking and reminding him he was on duty as he tapped the badge in his shirt. Judy turned nodding with Nick still grinning. “I love chicken and eggs, but it’s easier for me to eat fish.”

Wolford shook his head. “Great, you two will get along perfectly because she smells like a fish cannery.” 

Fangmeyer looked at him scowling playfully. “The way you keep complaining about that just confirms that you like it.”

Wolford growled as he glared at her. “Take a bath once in a while.”

“Tigers are one of the cats that love water, Wolford. It’s cheetah’s that don’t bathe.” 

Nick and Snarlov were chuckling as Judy looked between them with her nose wiggling. She turned back to Nick as he stuffed the last part of his lunch in his mouth. “Hey, Fort?”

Wolford scowled at him. “Don’t leave the concert arena, Nick. We’ve only got an hour relief for lunch and there is still close to another three left in this shift. This is not a date.”

Nick smirked as Judy looked between them. “You’re just jealous because it’s not a date with you anyway.” Snarlov and Fangmeyer chuckled as Wolford shook his head. “This is Snarlov, Fangmeyer and my partner Wolford you’ve already met. Can you wait here a second, Carrots?” Judy nodded as Nick rushed to the stand Wolford had come from.

“So, how did you two meet, again?” Fangmeyer asked and Judy’s ears dropped as her eyes hit the ground.

“They met at the open market.” Wolford shot and Judy looked back at him blinking as he shrugged. “She got Marty and Eileen to hook up.”

Snarlov and Fangmeyer looked at her with their mouths half open and shook their heads. “That was you?” 

Judy cringed as she played with one of her downed ears. “I really didn’t mean to cause any-

“You didn’t.” Wolford smirked as he shook his head.

“She didn’t what?” Nick asked as he held a couple of cups out. 

“Hi Guys!” A chipper voice sang as Nick held a cup in front of Judy. She looked up and tipped her head at the cheetah as he smiled and waved.

“That’s Clawhauser. There aren’t many who don’t go by their last names but he’s one of the few. Most of us call him Benji.”

“You have a uhm….” She pointed to his neck and the cheetah searched around until he grabbed the funnel cake under his chin.

“Oh, there you are! I’m always losing the little dickens in there.” Judy giggled uncomfortably as she stepped closer to Nick. The fox looked down at her curiously as he held the cup in front of her. She took it with her nose wiggling and her fingers warming under the Styrofoam.

“I got you some apple cider.” The doe dropped the cup and sent it flying over her as Finnick fell over laughing from where he was watching. “I thought you liked apples! Gideon said you loved them!” She stood there with one eye twitching as Clawhauser grabbed a bunch of napkins and tried to wipe her off. 

Judy’s pupils grew as she got a good whiff of him and she backed up making a sour face. Clawhauser’s ears flicked back as she growled. “Ugh! How many girlfriends do you have, and do you ever take a ba-” She blinked as her nostrils flared, just before her paws cupped to the side of her face. “Awww. That’s sooo sweet! You aren’t sleeping with any of them. You’re just keeping them company and taking care of them.” Clawhauser’s cheeks lit a bright red as Wolford, Snarlov, Fangmeyer and Nick let their jaws drop. “You make sure they are-

“CARROTS! Stop talking- stop talking – stop talking!” He grabbed her and rushed off as Fangmeyer giggled with a dirty smirk. 

“Now we know why he was calling you Ben- G if all you’re doing is making them happy. I guess we should start calling you Ben- G- Spot.” They all laughed as he scratched his neck, blushing furiously. “How did she figure that out?”

“The nose knows?” Wolford shrugged as Snarlov looked at him. “He said she’s part fox, something to do with genetics. She’s not a predator or prey.”

“Well, she’s certainly something else.” Snarlov and Fangmeyer chuckled as Clawhauser smiled and rushed away. 

“Something else?” Wolford shook his head watching Nick pulling Judy around part of the crowd. 

Nick pulled Judy out of sight and smacked a paw to his face. She scrunched her shoulders and was trying to apologize as he waved it off and looked at her funny. “Why do you smell like cedar?”

“Nick, I need to explain something to you.” He lifted his brows waiting as she chewed her lip and sighed. “I told you I was cursed.” He nodded fighting not to roll his eyes. “It’s not just about being with someone, it’s about being with someone. Getting close to someone or you know…” She rolled her paws and looked up at him as he shook his head. 

“You didn’t seem to have a problem being with me.” He smirked as she looked around chewing her cheek.

“That’s because I had something else on my mind.” He frowned as he tilted his head and she threw her paws up. “Not someone, something! When I get excited, I change, turn into a monster and I don’t want to hurt you.”

Nick looked up with pursed ears as he stuck his paws on his hips. “Really? Look, if you don’t want to be with me then just don’t. It won’t be the first broken heart I’ve had and I’m sure if-

“I’m serious, Nick! I turn into a snarling, fanged monster with long claws and-

“Carrots- You could have come up with any other reason than that to tell me this was just a-

“If you don’t believe me then try something!” Nick scowled at her as she growled. “Do something! Kiss me or touch me or just look at me like you were before. Not like you’re looking at me right now!”

“Fine!” He leaned over and pressed his lips to hers and they slowly curled around each other, sighing as he pulled away.

“I don’t see a monster, Carrots. I guess I’m just not doing it for you.”

“Try harder.” He snickered as he cupped her cheek and leaned into another kiss. 

Wolford was searching through the crowd and rolled his eyes as he spotted Nick with Judy. After weaving through a few mammals, he tapped the fox on the shoulder. Nick looked back at him grinning as Judy stayed in a daze wrapped in his arms. “We need to get back to crowd control.”

“Carrots?” She hummed lazily as she opened her eyes looking at him. “I have to go back to work. Are you going to stay around?” She nodded and he pecked her on the cheek before walking past Wolford. 

Wolford rolled his eyes and glanced back to the bunny tipping is head. Her eyes flashed a bright red as she watched Nick walking away and he narrowed his eyes as she turned and rushed into 

the crowd. He picked up his phone and tapped a number. A sleepy voice answered with a roar as Grizzoli picked up yawning. “Hello?”

“Gizzoli, it’s Wolford.”

“I gathered. Do you know what time it is?”

“Quick question and I’ll let you get back to sleep. Do bunnies have red eyes sometimes?”

Another roaring yawn set his ears back as Grizzoli sighed. “Sometimes. It just depends on their genes. I’m going back to bed.”

“Thanks.” The entire conversation was misunderstood by both parties. Wolford nodded, hanging up before he started walking around keeping an eye on the crowds. 

Finnick watched them walking away and looked around for Judy as something else caught his attention. A small precession of wagons just outside the concert area turned him as he caught a few mammals walking by. They were in a lively conversation about fortune tellers, gypsy witches, warlocks and spells as his ears set on them. He listened and shook his head as they all went different directions before he was searching for Judy again. 

Gazelle had introduced another singer and was dancing on stage with a white tiger, doing a medley of two songs. The crowd had all clamored closer as her and the white tiger danced around each other in a fashion that had everyone jumping up and down cheering as they teased each other with the lyrics. The large cat was singing about catching her and she was returning the lyrics of trying everything and not running away; Openly mocking the past relationship of predators and prey compared to what it was in current times.

Finnick spotted Judy watching the tiger licking his lips as he danced around Gazelle singing. Her head cocked to one side as Gazelle rolled her hips and sent the white tiger into fanning himself with his shirt. She was giggling as they danced around each other again. The crowd seemed to understand the message they were both teasing each other with as they moved around each other, and the lyrics were backwards for both species on some level. Judy was laughing until she moved her attention and found Nick standing with a small ewe and a larger ram.

“Officer Wilde?” She asked as he turned and smiled. “I’m Dawn Bellwether. I know you’re working right now but I was wondering…” He chuckled as he dropped to one knee and took her paw.

“I’ll be off shift in about twenty minutes Ms. Bellwether. Noon. Officer Fangmeyer gave me your card earlier and I think I might know someone who may be interested.”

“Oh Wonderful! Just call me Dawn.”

Nick glanced back at Wooler grinning. “Dawn… Hmm. I think Sunshine fits a little better for someone who lights up the world every morning.” 

Dawn’s face turned a bright red as she shied her eyes and Wooler chuckled. “Hey, no wooling in on my girl, Wilde.”

The fox chuckled as he stood and nodded. “I’ll call you and let you know within a few days if that’s alright. Maybe set up a meeting at the bar? I’m usually there between four and seven, depending on what shift I’m working if you need to talk before then.” 

Finnick stepped beside Judy watching her glaring. Her brow had dropped angrily as her lips started peeling up and he sighed before he grabbed her tail. She jumped squeaking and turned growling at him. “Ya already got one demon ya can’t manage. Don’t let that green-eyed monster get in there too and I aint talkin about your fox. He aint interested in her.” She huffed as her shoulders fell forward and nodded before she turned around, shaking her head when she’d lost sight of them. Finnick pointed and her eyes shifted with his paw. “Over there.”

Nick was standing not far from a caravan of wagons with Wolford, Fangmeyer and Snarlov. Several other officers were chatting with them as they readied to take over the same shift. Judy bounced through the crowd until Nick was looking at her grinning. Wolford watched them come together shaking his head as the new officers ticked their eyes between them. The wolf shrugged and waved as Nick motioned to the wagons. He left chuckling with Judy to a game stand next to the first wagon. Finnick kept his distance, watching as Nick threw a few bills up and grabbed some darts, throwing them at the balloons pinned on the wall. After several popped the Orangutan behind the booth picked up a little basket and motioned for him to pick a prize. Judy kept ticking her eyes all over the wall when his paw landed in front of her with a pen shaped like a carrot. “A carrot for my Carrots.” 

Judy giggled as she took it and curled her arms around his neck. “Thank you.” 

He glanced up motioning to the wagons and she turned around. “We can have our fortunes told.”

She shrugged and walked with him to one of the wagons. Nick tapped on the door and waited until a curtain was pulled back. A large black furred wolf came out and walked down the stairs. “We were wondering if we could get our fortunes told.”

The wolf looked around and shook his head. “They are all off gathering things. I’m not sure when they will return.”

“Hey Brute, I found the lycanthropy scrolls, but have you seen my Spellsinging books from Clothump of-”

Judy blinked a few times as another mammal poked her head out the back of the wagon and froze. “I am Brutus, this is my mate Dielyelah.”

The hybrid rabbit/fox walked down a few steps and the black wolf tipped his head and took hold of her paw as she shook her head. “You wear the curse of the Possessed Demon Lover Fox.” Judy cringed as she stepped back.

Nick frowned and almost growled as Judy backed away. “Why would you tell someone that?! There is no such thing as magic or a curse! And even if there was why the hell would she have it being a bunny?!”

Dielyelah looked away sadly shaking her head as the wolf curled around her. “It is a shame on both our bloodlines.” She glanced at Judy and her ears fell as Nick looked between them. “It is said among the rabbits that foxes have red fur because they were made by the devil. We, the rabbits have turned foxes into such, with a curse for loving our kind. For no fox, tod or vixen, would stay with a bunny they loved knowing they may harm them, they would flee and leave them to live, rather than see the one they loved die at their paws.”

“That’s a terrible thing to say, and a lie!” Nick hissed.

Brutus looked at Judy and smiled as he wrapped his arms around his mate. “My mate does not lie, nor do any others in my band. I can see it as well. We can both see magic and what it will cause. Beware the one of shaded tails. The skin she wears is deceptive of her true nature. A wolf in sheep’s clothing is easily hidden among those who do not look.”

Nick jerked as the wagon tilted to the side and shook his head. “I thought you said there were no others here?”

The wolf looked back and tipped his ears. “‘Here’ is what you choose to believe. Sometimes someone can be standing right in front of you and you will never see them. They fade into a place that no one will notice if they do not pay attention. We can make others invisible if we choose not to see them for their true selves, as easily as we can choose to make ourselves invisible to others.” He looked back to Judy, smiling as his mate tipped her nose into his neck. “If you wish to free yourself of this curse, you must do something noble and sacrifice blood for a heart left cold. This curse can only be bound by the magic of hellfire, under the light of the moon, where not even stars can shine. You must rise above it all before the fall.” 

Nick almost growled as he threw his arms up. “I believe she has a curse on her about as much as I believe there is some invisible Joe standing in front of me! What does that even mean? How can there there be light from the moon if no stars can shine in the darkness? None of anything you’re saying makes sense!” 

The wolf shook his head as his mate turned into his chest. “We aren’t see-ers. We are shown only small pieces of what can become of magic and spells we know. Be warned, the one closest to you will be possessed, for the demon must have a host if it cannot be tamed.”

Nick shook his head frowning and watched Judy tick her eyes to him as she clutched the pen in her paw so tightly that she pressed the button. She sobbed as she shook her head. “I am such a dumb bunny.” She dropped the pen and took off running.

Nick grabbed it off the ground and rushed after her growling. “Carrots! Don’t listen to that crazy- Crazy people, where did she get to?”

“OFFICER WILDE!” Nick turned frowning as the wolf lifted his head. “All love past is lost, but she will claim another lover. Look to the moon that lights the path of the hidden cliffs, when all other light fades. To the side of all things hidden that will soon shine.” 

Nick turned growling. “Nut jobs.” He ran around several mammals and spotted her as he screamed. “CARROTS, STOP!” She froze as he slowed to a jog and stopped with her back facing him. “Please don’t believe anything they said, none of it was true.”

“You should believe what they said!” Her shoulders were rolling as he sighed.

“Carrots, there is no such thing as magic or a curse and the other things they sa-…” 

Nick held the pen out and she took it stuffing it in her pocket. “Why don’t you believe it?! Do you think there is no magic in love? That’s all the magic left in the world!”

He looked away thinking before his lip curled up. “She will claim another lover….” He muttered and looked back at her frowning. “Why did you do any of this if it’s just a game? How many have you claimed? What, are you just trying to hurt me so you can laugh?”  
She turned shaking her head as she fought tears. “NO! I would never do that! I just wanted you to know how I felt about you. If I change because of this curse I could hurt you so I can’t…”

“COME ON! How did you know how to do that?! Explain that?! How many are there? How many have there been!?”

“Just one, Nick. I just wanted you to know I want you, but I don’t want to hurt you-

“Just one? There is no way you could know how to do that if there was just one other and I’m the- How did you know about that!?”

“Finnick! He said he would help me make sure you didn’t get hurt! I just didn’t want to hurt you. I don’t want to hurt anyone. I didn’t mean to…. I’m sorry.” She turned and ran off with tears streaming down her face as his expression went flat.

Nick turned a full one eight and spotted Wolford coming his way. The crowd parted and he spotted large ears swiveling back and forth as Finnick smirked watching Judy. His ears pinned back, and his lips curled down as he growled. I’m going to kill him. 

Wolford tipped a brow as Nick started marching towards him, unbuttoning his shirt. “I need to take the car back to the station, Nick. Are you sta-” He scowled as Nick pulled his badge off his uniform shirt and stuffed it in his back pocket. He was left wearing a black t-shirt with Z.P.D. on the front. Wolford shook his head as Nick tossed him his shirt. “What are you doing?”

“I’ll take the bus. I don’t want to be in uniform right now.”

“What’s going on, Nick?” Wolford shook his head as he grabbed the shirt on his arm and looked around. He spotted Judy turn and look at Nick. He looked the same direction she was and watched a couple of polar bears shoving other mammals out of the way. They nearly knocked over an elephant who was eating a doughnut. He grabbed his radio and alerted the other officers of a problem as the cow dropped it and sent it rolling. Wolford ran as Weaselton picked up a wallet and tapped a hippo. The hippo took the wallet he had dropped, smiling as Weasleton was knocked to the ground by Wolford shoving him out of the way.

Judy’s eyes had gone wide watching the doughnut bouncing. She hopped over several smaller mammals as a little shrew screamed. Fru-Fru looked up and stuck a paw to her chest as Judy held the doughnut above her head. “I love your hair.” Judy sat it down and saw Nick storming after Finnick as he turned, with two polar bears barreling after them.

Nick stomped forward several feet as Finnick turned. The small fox’s eyes went wide as Nick glared at him, moving with fast paces and clenched fists. “YOU! You don’t do anything for someone without getting something out of it! I’m going to turn you into a dust mop and use your fur to scrub my car!”

“Shit.” Finnick spat as he looked for the fastest escape route. Nick looked to the side after Finnick’s face fell. Two polar bears were shoving through the crowd not far off and pointed at him snarling. “Double shits.” When both bears started running towards him, he flew under feet.

“FINNICK- I WILL CATCH YOU!” Nick screamed as he dropped to all fours and chased after him. 

Finnick looked back and his eyes grew as Nick barreled after him onto a crosswalk when he noticed the bears coming from each side. He started climbing the scaffolding up a set of bars that held stage lights to the right and cackled as Nick jumped chasing after him. He ran onto the catwalk between the hanging lights and cringed as he watched the bears start climbing each side. Nick jumped through the bars and stopped scowling at him. “Nowhere left to run?” Nick asked as he looked to each side of the landings and smirked at the bears.

Bogo growled as he looked across the area and watched two polar bears trying to race up the rigging for the lights. He grabbed the radio on his shoulder and narrowed his eyes as several officers started racing that direction and shook his head as the scaffolding shook. The bull turned his head as he heard several people shout and nearly jumped as a bunny bounced from a rhino’s head onto his shoulder. “HEY!” He yelled as she jumped from his shoulder to his head and onto another set of beams. He growled as she crawled up and through another set of scaffolding, until she gasped as she looked the direction Wilde had chased the other little fox. He turned back and ground his teeth as the officers and security rushed around the scaffolding, trying to keep it steady as the polar bears stepped onto the catwalk.

Nick grabbed the safety rails at the sides as Finnick looked at him grinning and shaking his head. “Make your peace with the world, or is it just me ya got a problem with? Aint no way we’re getting out of this alive.” 

Nick looked in front of him and behind him as the little metal landing they were standing on creaked and groaned when the bears reached the top and stepped on the little catwalk. “What the hell did you do that pissed them off enough to chase you up here, Finnick?!”

Finnick looked him over and sighed. “Fuck it, if we’re goin out, we might as well make it a party. But damn I would a loved to have had that rabbit cabob first.”

“WHY YOU LITTLE!” Nick growled as he jumped forward. Finnick ducked under his leg as he swung, and the catwalk started folding as the bears slowly looked at everything and backpedaled. Nick fell over the side as Finnick dangled from a broken piece of medal that had snapped away from the triangular sections as the catwalk swayed between the secured beams.

Bogo blinked as he looked up and saw the little bunny grab a section of rope she bit through before she was swinging over the crowd. He sucked in a breath as Wilde fell and sighed when Nick grabbed the rabbit’s wrist. The fox growled and looked down as an unfamiliar weight caught his attention. He snarled as he looked down and saw Finnick dangling from his tail. Nick looked up wide eyed as Judy screamed. “DON’T LET GO!”

“WHY THE HELL WOULD I LET GO?!” He grabbed her wrist with both paws as they turned midair and Finnick laughed as Nick kicked his feet at him. 

The smaller fox chuckled as he saw where they were heading and let go, tumbling over a few times on the stage until he slid on his knees right in front of Gazelle. She waved off the tigers dancing around her and Finnick smirked as she cocked her head to one side. “Nice curves.” She giggled as he got to his feet and let him stand there bouncing back and forth as the crowd ate up a fan on the stage. If anything about his size was an advantage, it was that there weren’t many who saw him as any kind of threat.

Judy screamed as Nick clung to her wrist. “I’M GOING TO LET GO”!

“NO, WAIT, DON’T-RABBIIIIT!” The fox blinked as they landed in a bunch of wires on the other side of the stage that connected all the speakers and lights for the show. He looked at Judy huffing just before they snapped and sent them both to the ground. It also set off the pyrotechnics and momentarily blinded the tigers on stage and Gazelle. “Are you hurt?” Judy shook her head as he threw off the wires. Nick pecked her lips and she held a paw to her mouth as he threw off the wires. “Good, stay right there.” He rushed onto the stage and closed in on Finnick.

Finnick smirked as he pointed behind them when Nick reached him with his lips pulled over his teeth. He looked up and froze as he watched himself on several jumbo screens behind them, wearing a Z.P.D. shirt. Nick smiled and nodded as Gazelle shook the spots out of her eyes and spotted him. She waved to the crowd as Bogo slapped a paw to his face groaning. Nick started bouncing back and forth as he rolled his fists over each other and tried to stomp the smaller fox. Finnick dodged it and moved away laughing. “Keep laughing, Finnick.” Nick growled in a low voice and a forced smile. “I’m going to pound you if it’s the last thing I do.”

Finnick looked to the side of the stage as Judy wrestled herself out of all the wires. “I bet you would, but it’s not the kind of pound town I want to go to.” He pointed to Judy as Nick bit his cheek and growled as he jumped forward again. 

Judy bounced onto the stage and into the chest of a tiger who caught her. He blinked as he shook his head. “I can’t let you get any closer. You have to get off the stage.” She looked over his shoulder and watched Nick spin in what everyone else saw as awkward dancing as his foot stomped where Finnick had been standing. The small fox laughed as he spun a circle and turned to the crowd before he jumped. 

Nick narrowed his eyes as Finnick was passed along the top of the larger mammals in the crowd, looking back at him grinning as both middle fingers stayed pointed his direction. The red fox nodded with a tight-lipped smile as he looked back at Gazelle and tipped his fingers to his head in a mock salute. She waved at the crowd and Nick took a running leap off the stage.

The tiger holding Judy was trying to explain why no one else should be on the stage and get her to leave on her own when she watched Nick jump after Finnick and get carried away over the top of the crowd. “Throw me!”

“What?” he asked with a sour face as she pointed to the crowd. “I can’t throw you, but if that’s how you want to get off the stage.” He shrugged as he sat her down and went back to his dance position as she rushed out to the front of the stage and jumped. 

Bogo shook his head scowling as he watched his officers wrestling two polar bears to the ground beside the scaffolding. The bull walked closer to another bear and folded his arms over his chest as Mr. Big seemed to be examining his daughter. The shrew looked up and raised one brow exposing an eye as Bogo tipped his ears. “What business can I help you with, Chief Bogo?” Mr. Big asked. 

Bogo tipped his head to the stage where the officers were after two polar bears. “What is it they are after?”

Mr. big shrugged as Boris held him and Fru Fru. “I am afraid that is not my business.”

The bull growled as Boris grunted and walked away. He saw Nick being tossed over the crowd and walked to the closest place he could see that was the likeliest he would be set down. The bunny was not far behind him, hopping from shoulder to shoulder. Nick finally landed on the ground looking around, trying to find where Finnick had vanished under feet again. Judy jumped down next to Nick as he looked around growling.

Bogo stepped closer to them folding his paws over his chest. “Well this should be good.” He growled and Nick snapped his head up as the bull snorted.

“Off duty. Later Chief!” He took off with Judy glancing back up and giggling nervously as she pointed the same direction, before she was jumping after him.

“WIIILDE!” …………


	13. Big Little World

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Watch Your Step

Omi- Hula Hoop*

Finnick turned laughing and ran as Nick dropped to all fours. Judy bounced through and around people trying to keep up with them as Chief Bogo growled. He motioned to Clawhauser who went the other direction as they circled the trio they were following. He turned when Clawhauser growled and rolled his eyes. It figured the only thing that would upset the cheetah was someone possibly hurting Gazelle. The cat had a hard time climbing stairs without getting winded, but he didn’t miss a beat as Bogo watched him running. 

Nick chased Finnick through a section cornered off for smaller mammals. It had metal bars several feet above the ground so the larger mammals wouldn’t step on anyone after leaving the concert area and entering the park section where booths and food carts lined each side of the street. Small tubes sat on one side in a water slide meant for rodents to ride through on sleds sped by the air rushing through them as a roller coaster train sped under them. 

The officers following were having a hard time getting around because the singers had thrown Hula hoops into the crowd and many of the mammals were jumping around trying to catch them as they bounced off the ground.

Duke was spun around as Finnick and Nick rushed past him. He shook himself with a frown as he watched them running and screamed as the food cart they had rushed by jostled. He looked back and jumped as a bunny almost knocked him over. He was screaming as his shirt was caught by the coaster and scrambled onto it looking for a place to jump where he wouldn’t land on anyone. 

Judy turned and blinked as she looked around. She bounced over several small buildings that held a haunted house, house of mirrors and some kind of amusement wheels for the smaller species. She landed on the tubes and dropped her weight, swinging with her knees. Duke came around the corner with wide eyes as she caught him under the arms and sent them both flying into the air. The weasel was screaming as they separated. “Somebody, catch me if you can!” Judy bounced off the larger section of a food truck and slammed into the side of the buildings that had tipped, setting them straight again before she jumped in the air and caught the weasel. 

She landed with him blinking as one of his eyes twitched. “I caught the weasel! SORRY!” She shouted after sitting him down before she ran off again. He looked in front of himself and picked up a plastic carrot. 

“HEY COTTONTAIL! YOU DROPPED THE- He groaned as he fell back and shook his head. The food cart he was up against jostled as Bogo grabbed the side of it and ran forward. Weaselton looked up and frowned as a large stack of doughnuts tumbled over the counter. One fell over his head and pinned his arms to his sides as the others kept falling and sent it rolling on its side. It stopped with his feet in the air and Clawhauser cringed as he sat it upright. Duke looked up at him scowling. “If this is what it’s like on the other side of the fence, I need to go back to being a crook! Aint nuttin about today gone right!”

Clawhauser broke the doughnut in half as Bogo stopped and watched all the rodents scurrying around his feet. He grit his teeth as Weaselton stormed past him grumbling. “Stupid rabbits and foxes chasing each other all over the place! I’m going home!”

Dawn had watched everything with Eric from a higher point and was beaming as they caught up to Clawhauser. The ewe shouted, halting Bogo as he looked back to where Clawhauser was standing. “CHIEF BOGO!” He stopped and nodded as she walked closer. “Oh, she’s perfect for the mammal inclusion program! Officer Wilde said he thought he knew someone who would be interested! Let me just text the mayor and let him know!”

“Oh, no Assistant Mayor Bellwether. We shouldn’t tell the mayor anything just yet until I have…”

“Done and done!” Dawn chirped as she scrunched her nose. “All us little guys need to stick together. I can’t wait to meet her!” She walked away with Wooler, giggling.

Bogo ran a paw down his face with a groan and Clawhauser cringed when he noticed several mammals taking pictures and holding cameras. He was overtaken with people asking questions as he ticked his eyes to where he had seen Nick, the bunny and another small fox running into the parking lot.

Nick ran around a small truck and lost Finnick. He was walking around with grit teeth and clenched fists as he took several steps back. Judy had poked her head under the truck and narrowed her eyes as she watched Finnick’s tail pull up under the muffler. “What did you say to him!? What are you doing?” She hissed as his nose poked down. 

Finnick glared at her and smiled. “Hidin- thought ya was smart enough to figure that out. I didn’t say much.”

“Well why is he so angry then?!”

When Finnick shrugged and vanished back behind the muffler. Her nose wiggled as she stood straight and took a few steps back. Nick and Judy bumped into each other and turned in fight stances before they relaxed. He rolled his eyes as Judy chewed her lip. “Carrots.” Her nose kept twitching as he tipped his head. “What are you-” He froze as he spotted the white limo behind her. “We have to leave- now!”

“Why?” She asked as Finnick’s ears perked under the truck beside them.

“I know whose car this is. Mr. Big is the head of all mafia and crime syndicates in Zootopia and I don’t want to- When she looked up behind him his whole body went stiff before he turned. “Raymond! And is that Kevin? Long time no see, how about we just keep it that way and not tell him? For old times sake? - HRK- Guess not.” He groaned as him and Judy were wrapped in Raymond’s paws. The bear looked at the other truck and Kevin smirked as he tipped it over, wrapping a paw around Finnick after he fell from the undercarriage. They were all tossed in the limo and squashed between the two bears as the car started and drove away from the fair.

Nick glared at Finnick as the small fox looked up at him frowning. “What, ya aint on cloud nine no more? Them mood swings of yours make me wonder if ya got bi-polar problems.” He smirked as Nick frowned at him. “Course that might just be cause of a pretty tail ya that caught your eye. Thought we was past all this kinda shit years ago.”

Nick growled as he leaned closer and Judy scrunched her shoulders looking between the bears as they both shook their heads. “Aside from the reason I already want to murder you- What did you do this time, Finnick?”

Both bears looked at each other and back to the red fox as his lips started peeling over his teeth. Raymond chuckled as he grabbed Nick and tossed him to the other seat. Judy watched Kevin scroll through his phone, snickering at pictures of mammals he was choking and shrank in the seat. “How does Nick know these guys?” She asked in a low voice.

Finnick smirked and Nick’s eyes went wide as he stared into nothing. “He sold Mr. Big a rug made from the butt of a skunk.”

“Sweet cheese and crackers.” She muttered as Finnick smirked and watched Nick fall back in the other seat shaking his head. The fox glared at him, but bit his tongue as they pulled through the gate. They were shoved forward until they were in a room waiting as Judy kept sniffing and shaking her head. “This place smells funny.”

Nick nudged her shaking his head as a bear larger than the others came in. She tipped her head to the side as a small chair was sat down and turned. “Nicky,” Mr. Big said in a sigh as he looked between them. “Finnick, I believe you and I have business to attend to.”

Judy made a funny face. “You’re Mr. Big?” The shrew lowered his brow as she pointed and leaned over as she fell to the floor laughing.

“CARROTS!” Nick hissed as Mr. Big growled.

“ICE HER!”

“NO!” Nick yelled. They were all snatched from the floor by the scruff of their shirts and Raymond threw off the rug, opening the floor to ice waters below the house.

“Daddy!” Mr. Big looked back to the red fox and held a paw out as Fru-Fru came in. “We’re ready to leave for the Honeymoo…that’s the bunny from earlier! She’s the one who saved me!”

“This bunny?” Mr. Big asked and she nodded as she cupped both paws together. He motioned to the bears and waited until they had covered the floor and sat them back down. “What is your name?”

“Judy Hopps.” Judy answered as Nick straightened his shirt.

Mr. Big looked at Finnick and shook his head. “Tell me what happened yesterday and why my daughter’s wedding was nearly ruined? I gave you specific instructions and told you if you needed anything it would be taken care of in exchange for something. Mr. Otterton has gone missing and I am sure I already know why. His wife handled the flowers but is a wreck because of the whole situation. A situation that seems to be revolving around this bunny, if my nose is working correctly.”

Nick glared at Finnick as he lifted his head and shrugged one shoulder. “Ya asked me for somethin and she’s part of it.”

“How do you know, Nicky?” Mr. Big asked as he leaned forward and motioned to Judy. 

Nick looked between them shaking his head at Judy as she watched Finnick. “Don’t answer that Carrots. Don’t say anything. Just pretend like you’re a mime and don’t speak.”

Mr. big narrowed his eyes and leaned forward as she dropped her ears. He grinned as he nodded and rubbed his chin. “You have chosen a bunny as a life-mate.”

Judy’s ears shot up as Nick groaned. He slammed a paw over his face and muzzle cringing, and shook his head as Finnick snickered. Nick looked at him growling and jumped as Judy tried to bounce around Kevin. The bears grabbed all three of them holding them up again. Mr. Big tipped a brow as Nick swiped at the smaller fox. “Boris.” The largest bear stepped around the desk growling and Nick’s ears tipped back as he slammed a paw over his muzzle. Judy’s ears pinned to her back and she twisted in the jacket she was wearing, almost turning in it before she bit his thumb. Kevin dropped her out of shock as she jumped in front of the bear holding Nick, dropping to all fours as her teeth split in a growl that had Mr. Big leaning over looking at her as he chuckled. 

Nick blinked as Judy kept her head lowered like she was ready to jump. “CARROTS!” The doe let her ears fall and sighed as she stayed in front of him.

“She has chosen you as well.” Mr. Big smirked, and Nick blinked looking at Judy again. “I take it the rabbit you were involved with explained very little to you, did she not?” He asked and watched as Nick’s ears pinned back with a nasty look on his face. He crossed his arms over his chest hanging from Raymond’s paw.

Mr. Big motioned to set them down again and waited until Nick was straightening out his shirt. “Rabbits are quite unique in how things work with their relationships. But you are not a normal rabbit are you, Judy Hopps?” Judy tipped her head looking at him with narrowed eyes as he motioned for her to come closer to the desk. “I know rabbit ways due to a missing florist who deals with them more than I do. It is my business to know how my business is run and why. What are you?” Judy scowled as Mr. Big pointed to Nick. “This fox, what if I said I can make him a memory no one would bother looking for?”

She growled and shook her head as her ears dropped again. “Intimidate me all you want. If something happens to him, I will hunt you down. There will be nowhere I can’t find you and I’ll never stop, even if it’s the last thing I do!”

“CARROTS, STOP!” Nick screamed as Mr. Big shook his head chuckling. He nodded as her ears went limp again and blinked as she backed away from the desk with Fru- Fru shaking her head. “JUDY, STOP! YOU CAN’T TALK TO HIM LIKE…that.” Judy stepped away from the desk and he let his jaw fall open in shock watching her turn her eyes and shrink from his voice.

The little female shrew giggled as Judy dropped her head. “Bunny does aren’t submissive to anyone but their mate because they run their families and business. They have to be aggressive with business so they can take care of their finances while their mates and sons work the land because most of them are farmers. The only time they are submissive is when their mate becomes agitated and screams. It is a way to warn that they can harm each other if they become too emotional and will usually halt them in their tracks. They lock onto the voice and sound waves of their mate and pick up stress patterns in the vocal tones of their mate or kits with their ears. But no bunny will run into a problem when there are predators threatening them if they are alone. They’re usually quiet and try to hide from any threats when they are alone. So, what else are you?”

Nick’s jaw fell as Judy looked back at him and cringed. His mind was working through everything that had happened as he gawked, thinking about how she had halted with the word ‘stop’ before he had even taken her to get her tooth fixed in Ms. Beesly’s apartment. Breaking down in the car when he had gotten upset enough to yell. Following his voice as she slept…She already knew his voice and the words had stuck because he had said it so many times trying to catch her when she was steali…she had known for that long…... he cupped a paw over his mouth grinning as she shied her eyes from him again with her nose twitching. She had chosen him long before he made an impulsive jump and claimed her.

Finnick chuckled and Nick’s ears shot up as he lunged. “I’M GOING TO KILL YOU!”

The bears snatched the foxes again as Mr. Big rolled his eyes. Nick was still trying to swipe at Finnick as they both kept growling. “Ya wanna kiss and make up? She’s standin right there.” Finnick asked in a smart assed tone as Nick jerked an arm around trying to hit him again. 

“You’re dead Finnick!”

Mr. Big looked back at Fru Fru shaking his head as Finnick growled again. “Ya used to think that kinda shit was funny. Lost your sense of humor have ya?”

“You taught her that and took advantage of something she believes that isn’t real! It’s no different than my mother and you’re the one who started all this, again!”

Finnick rolled his eyes to the ceiling. “Let’s just keep goin round and round. Make up your damn mind! Thought ya let that shit go years ago.”

“WELL IT WON’T BE YOU IN PRISON THIS TIME! I’LL BE IN THERE FOR MORE THAN BUSTING SOMEONE’S KNEECAPS AFTER I BREAK YOUR FUCKING NECK!” Finnick scowled as Nick glared at him. The red fox jerked his head to Judy as she sobbed and watched her fall to the floor. “Let go! Let go!” Nick growled as Mr. Big waved a paw and watched as he was dropped to the floor. He wrapped around Judy as she sobbed. 

“He didn’t do anything wrong. I just didn’t want anyone to get hurt because of me.” Nick glared at Finnick as he pet her ears.

Finnick rolled his eyes and shook his head as Raymond set him down. “Lovin this damn ride already. Aint this one big fuckin happy family.”

Nick dropped his head over Judy’s and covered her ears. “I wouldn’t be part of this Big family if it weren’t for a rug!”

“I didn’t see nobody holdin a gun to your head tellin ya to sell the things!” Finnick growled as he clenched his fists.

“I wouldn’t have been selling them at all if I hadn’t been trying to make money to get her to stop doing something you got her started doing!” Nick growled in low voice as he cupped his paws over Judy’s ears.

Fru Fru grabbed Mr. Big’s paw and tapped her watch. He nodded and leaned forward. “I have no more time left to sort this out. Finnick, I want a full explanation in short time. All the cedar mulch from the flower shop, did you take it?” Finnick nodded as Mr. Big sighed. “Did you see Mr. Otterton while you were there?” Finnick shook his head and Mr. Big leaned back in his chair. “In your haste to obtain it, you nearly killed all the flowers. Mr. Otterton is a soft soul and may have run to keep his family safe if he thought I would be upset. Why did you need it?”

Finnick pointed at Judy. “She needed it. She’s got a problem.”

Nick stood up and leered as he helped Judy off the floor. “Needed it for what?” 

Finnick smirked as Judy stuck both paws over her nose. “That’s what she thinks you smell like. She didn’t want to hurt you.”

Nick grit his teeth as Judy dropped her head. “And what are you getting out of all this, Finnick?!”

Finnick looked at Mr. Big who shook his head. The small fox looked at Judy and shrugged. “She’s got somethin I want.”

Nick tried to jump forward at Finnick, and Boris snatched him by the shirt collar as Raymond grabbed Finnick again. “I’LL KILL YOU!” Boris leaned over and growled, showing his teeth and Nick cupped a paw over his muzzle as his ears tipped back and head dropped.   
Judy looked around and stepped closer grabbing Nick’s wrist and pulled it from his mouth as he sighed. “This is my fault, Mr. Big.” She said as she looked back to the shrew sitting in the chair.

“No, it’s not.” Nick shook his head. “I will find a way to amend for the problems that were caused, Sir.” Nick sighed and Boris smirked letting go of his shirt as Raymond put Finnick on the desk beside Mr. Big.

Mr. Big nodded and sighed. “Then I have only one request for it to be forgiven. For the son of the vixen who melted the coldest heart, and his mate. Find the otter. You have forty-eight hours. That is as long as I will be gone making sure everything is secure for my daughter and her new husband.”

Judy nodded as Kevin picked up Fru-Fru and left the room. He instructed Raymond to take them to see Mrs. Otterton and the bear left to get the car. Boris grabbed the top of Nicks head and ruffled his fur, the weight of his arms shoving his head down in a noogie. The bear chuckled as he left the room with Mr. Big. He was scowling with a long face and flat angry brow as Finnick leaned closer to him laughing. “You a cop now Nick! What they gonna say when they find out you runnin with this pack again? Aint you just an adorable lil thuuuuug!” He fell over laughing on the desk as Nick fumed in a flat brow.

Nick shifted to a soft smile as Judy cocked her head to the side. The doe squeaked as he pulled her closer and used one claw to scratched behind her ear. Her eyes rolled back, and he chuckled as her foot thumped the floor. Finnick stood up and looked over the edge of the desk, grinning as Raymond opened the door with a grunt. Nick motioned for her to follow the bear. After she was out the door, he turned with his teeth showing as Finnick glared. “You stay away from her. You’ve screwed up enough lives as it is.”

“Aww,” Finnick stuck his lip out pouting as Nick kept his teeth exposed. “Ya don’t wanna save me no more? Fix my whole life and make me a descent upstandin citizen?”

Nick grabbed him by the shirt. “I have tried to get you into something better. I HAVE ONLY DONE THAT BECAUSE SHE ASKED ME TO! YOU SCREW WITH MY MATE AND I’LL-

Finnick narrowed his eyes. “What exactly do ya think it is I did anyway?”

Nick dropped his head and glared. “You turned her into a s–

“GRRRR” ~POP~ “Ya don’t be sayin somethin ya can’t unsay. She wasn’t nothin but a lady and I’ll crack your knees for sayin different. Just because she was a dancer don’t mean she was anything else.”

Nick snapped his head back after Finnick decked him and yanked him off the desk. “You know what they all said about her! It was your damn idea!”

“Ya do what ya gotta do Nick, but that don’t mean it’s who ya are or what people say.” Finnick barked as he shook his head.

Nick hissed as his teeth stayed together. “A vixen does not put anything on display! Red foxes are shy and keep to themselves! They aren’t strippers or pole dancers who put on a show for others to watch! Why the hell do you think I was selling those damn rugs! You suggested it to her, and I knew something bad was going to happen! Where the hell were you the night she got chased from that damn club?! Some friend you turned out to be! You were too busy fighting and breaking someone’s kneecaps to keep her safe!”

Finnick growled and his lips tightened as Boris and Mr. Big came back into the room. The larger bear curled his lip up and Nick dropped Finnick. He dipped his ears back and grabbed his muzzle when the bear leaned over and growled. Boris pointed to the door and Nick huffed as he left the room still scowling at Finnick. Mr. Big looked over Kevin’s paw as Finnick looked up from the desk. “I asked you to keep an eye on him and make sure he wasn’t getting into any trouble with one side or the other. This does not seem like you are keeping your part of our arrangement.”

Finnick shook his head with a frown. “Yeah and shit’s complicated aint it?” He looked up at Boris who sighed and nodded. 

“He still doesn’t know?” Mr. Big asked as he looked down.

Finnick looked up shaking his head before he headed for the door. “Why the fuck would he? Might just be cause she wanted it all in the dark so he could figure it out in his own time when he was ready, but maybe he just aint that smart. I got eyes on him.” Finnick turned and lifted a brow as Kevin took the shrew from Boris. The bear grunted as he stepped around the desk and looked down. “I guess ya want to keep your eyes on him now too?” The bear nodded as Finnick groaned. He turned grumbling as Mr. Big chuckled and watched them get into the limo before it pulled away….

Mrs. Otterton held a picture in her paw as she explained everything to Nick and Judy. “See? We have two beautiful boys. He would never just leave….”

“Do you have something that smells like him?” Judy asked as she looked around.

The little otter pulled a scarf from her neck and sniffled. “This has his mark on it.” She watched Judy sniffing it and shook her head as she handed it back. “You don’t need to keep it?”

Judy shook her head. “No, I will find him for you.” She smiled and jolted as the little female curled around her. The doe cringed in an uncomfortable stiffness until her arms dropped and returned the hug. Nick shook his head grinning as Finnick and Boris watched from the car outside the flower shop.

“Oh, thank you, you beautiful little bunny! Thank you! This is the last place I know he was.” She turned and left as Nick looked over the paper and started snickering.

“You know where it is?” Judy asked as he smirked.

“I know right where it is. I’m not going to be able to get out of his sight until this is over, so can you…” He dug through his pocket and pulled out his keys holding them out to her. “Can you go get my car and bring it here?” 

Judy cringed and scrunched her shoulders into her cheeks. “I…I can’t drive.” Nick gawked at her and blinked as her ears fell.

“At all? License expired or-” Judy shook her head and Nick shrugged. “No license…ever? Well, O.K. then. I guess I know what we’re doing after this is all over. I know just the guy who can help.” He stuffed his keys back in his pocket and opened the door giving Raymond instructions on where they were going.

Judy looked around as the car stopped and Nick opened the door glaring at Finnick. The small fox shrugged as he walked in and stood to the side with Boris as Nick talked to the yak behind the desk and introduced them all to each other. “Mr. Otterton came here?” she asked as Nick started undoing his shirt. “W-what are you doing?”

“It’s a naturalist club. Can’t go in with clothes on.” Judy turned on a dime cupping both paws over her mouth as Nick’s shirt opened. Boris grunted with a frown and shook his head.

“I can’t go in!” Nick froze as Finnick turned the other way cupping his mouth as he bit his tongue. After Judy had explained a few bunny expressions to him and with how her imagination worked he could already see where her head was as she buried her nose in her jacket and kept sucking in the scent of cedar.

Nick narrowed his eyes. “Why?”

“I’m shy! I can’t go in!”

“You’re shy after th… Nick looked at Finnick and watched him snickering as he frowned. He wanted to ring his neck for whatever he had done that had made her uncomfortable. “Yax, just put us down on a day pass so we can look around and see if we can find out anything about Otterton.” 

Yax bobbed his head slowly. “Oh, hey sure. He came here to do yoga. Real nice falla. Yeah, say bunny, you got any bunny scout cookies? I really love those things but no one else knows how to bake them.” 

“No one else knows how to bake them…” Finnick cackled silently as Nick shook his head. The small fox kept his paw over his mouth as Judy cringed each time she saw something. She tried to stay one step ahead of Nick and not look directly at him or anything else because the things she was seeing may have been other mammals, but her imagination kept picturing someone else sprawled out over a bench, jumping around in the fur in a water fountain, and doing strange yoga poses ‘buck’ naked. After talking to almost everyone, they sat at a bar with Judy still holding a paw over her eyes. Finnick shook his head as Boris came and sat with them. The open ‘bar’ was under an area covered by large palm trees where tables sat under awnings large enough to cover the area from an aerial view and shaded from the sun. It was still early in the morning so the pavement under their feet was still soaking up heat and cool enough that no one was making a dash to get from place to place. Nick sighed as Judy kept her paws over her face and her eyes in her lap. 

“O.K. Carrots. You’re uncomfortable, so we’ll just get a drink here before we leave. We should eat something before we look anywhere else. We can stop at the corner and get some bagels with cream cheese or some doughnuts real fa…”

Judy shivered and Nick cocked his ears up as Finnick tried to smother himself. The fox looked at him leering, and curled one side of his lip up. “What did you do to her?” He asked in a low voice as Finnick wiped his eyes and shook his head.

“Nothin, but keep it up cause you’re ‘on a roll’ Nick.” Finnick hissed as Boris shook his head slowly.

Judy spewed what was in her mouth and was hacking as Nick turned patting her back. She brushed his paw off and rushed to the closest bathroom slamming the door as she tried to catch her breath.

Nick looked back at Finnick fighting not to snarl as he laughed. “You think this is funny?”

“Funny? Its fuckin hysterical.” Finnick laughed as he leaned forward in the chair. If he could convince her getting rid of the demon wasn’t worse than keeping it, maybe she would change her mind. Boris did a double take and rolled his eyes when Nick decked Finnick and sent him flying. He thumped into the back of a kudu who fell forward splashing his drink all over a bob cat who sucked in a breath and turned snarling. One punch was all it took to knock the kudu into a pig who fell out of his chair and rolled over growling. The pig jumped back at the kudu, who jumped out of the way and ended up barreling into a table surrounded by rabbits. Drinks went flying along with the trays of vegetables they had been snacking on as the table fell over, knocking half of them to the ground. The other half stood glaring before everyone was jumping.

Judy splashed her face and checked her eyes and claws before her ears set and swiveled as she heard several crashes and growling. She opened the door and let her jaw fall watching all the mammals who had been in a peaceful state of mind a few minutes ago trying to beat each other to death, in the fur. The only mammal who wasn’t rolling around on the ground or throwing punches was the polar bear Boris. He sat with a flat brow, shaking his head as his eyes stayed focused on the canopy above them. “UUUGH.” He groaned as Judy blinked and looked around. 

Nick and Finnick tumbled on the ground where there was a pile of sporting equipment laid out for the day’s activities. “I’m going to kill you!” Nick growled as the smaller fox rolled over and grabbed a bat he swung when Nick jumped at him again. 

Judy twitched and jumped over several little brawls, landing in front of the polar bear who was still shaking his head. “Boris, right?” He nodded as he started to stand. “Can I borrow these?” She grabbed the hoops around his wrist as he shrugged. He let her take off the hula hoops he had caught at the concert that had bounced around the crowd after the singers threw them off the stage. While they could be used as hula hoops for a bunny, for the polar bear they were only as big as bracelets. “Thank you.” She bound over mammals, avoiding getting rolled into and jumped catching a baseball someone had thrown. She landed on the only table heavy enough that it hadn’t been knocked over after jumping over the rounded seat section that curved around it forming the seats. A large umbrella sat over it from the pole stuck in the center and she looked around for the music playing and threw the ball, knocking the radio off the bar and sending it into a replay of music from the last live gazelle concert. Boris had stood trying to get to Nick and Finnick but couldn’t move without possibly stepping on anyone. He stopped and watched the little bunny, grinning as she pulled off her coat and stuck her fingers in her mouth. A sharp whistle caught nearly everyone’s attention and they froze watching her as she pulled off the dress and stood in a pair of lace underwear and matching bra as she started dancing all over the table with a the hula hoops she was spinning in.

The male rabbit’s ears shot up when her dress fell as she started hopping in and out of the spinning ring she set into motion on the table and twirled. “OOOOW! GRIND THEM GRAINS GIRL! YEAT THAT WHEAT AND MAKE THAT DOUGH RISE!”

Nick’s head shot up as his fist pulled away from Finnick again. His eye twitched as he watched everyone gathering around Judy while she danced in and out of the plastic red and white striped tubes. The rabbits were bouncing around dancing to the music as she kicked one up, tossing it into the air and spun another on her wrist before tossing it and grabbing the umbrella pole she spun around. The other hula hoop she had grabbed with her foot and was spinning around one of her ankles as Nick jumped from the ground with his jaw falling. His lips pulled over his teeth as he jerked his eyes looking around for Finnick again. I’m going to kill him!

Nick was trying to shove through the little crowd as he heard a crack. Someone screamed and the mammals around the table backed away giving him a clear view of the table. A buck rolled on the ground holding one knee as Finnick stood on the rounded seat section with a snarl, pointing the bat at him. “No touching!” 

Nick looked back at Judy watching her roll her hips and his lips pulled over his gums as Finnick looked over the little crowd and back to Judy grinning. “Dead-he’s dead! I’m going to ki-HRK!” He cringed as Boris wrapped a paw around him and growled. The fox looked back at him with pursed lips and Boris sat him down again before tipping his head. The bear scrubbed the top of Nick’s fur like he was a kit and Nick clenched his fist as he sucked in a breath before he stormed to the table grabbing Judy’s dress and coat. He pulled her from the table and threw the coat over her, sending the hula hoops falling before carrying her out the door. 

“Shy my furry ass. I don’t want anyone else looking at my girl.” He shook his head as her ears fell and turned pink as she nodded, and he looked at her scowling. When she jumped up avoiding his waistline as her cheeks flared, a slow smile lit his face as he realized he was the reason she had kept turning and covering her eyes while they had been in the Naturalists Club. He chuckled as he shook his head. “You’re exhausting, you know that? I get any more wound up and I’m going to have a heart attack.” He shifted her weight trying to calm the blood flowing to places that had Judy pulling herself higher and clinging to his neck and went back to thinking about how angry he was about something else. “I wish my car was here. Driving is the only thing that calms me down when I get agitated or really-really frustrated.” He groaned as he pushed through the door….


	14. Here and There

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Going somewhere

Katy Perry; Hot N Cold*

Finnick looked back at Boris and shrugged as he threw the bat back in towards the pile of equipment and made his way to the doors. They both stood watching Nick holding the coat in front of Judy while she was against the wall pulling the dress back over her head. The red fox looked back to the doors with a face locked in rage as Judy turned and slipped her arms into the jacket. She was holding her breath as Nick hovered over her. “I have to go.” His head snapped away from Finnick and back to her as she bounced nervously looking down the street. The smell was wearing off her clothes and fur as his was becoming more apparent after he had seen her dancing. It would be impossible to think if she couldn’t smell how angry he was on top of it. “I didn’t mean to upset you.”

“Carrots, you didn’t. I just don’t want-

“Please Nick, I need to leave.” He sighed as she kept looking down the street after she pulled away from him touching her.

“Just, go back to the apartment and I’ll meet you there. I need to pick up my car anyway.” She nodded and he watched her run off before turning back to Finnick snarling. “When this is over, you and I are going to dance again, until one of us isn’t moving anymore! She was dancing around a fucking pole and-”

Finnick looked to the side and shrugged. “I think ya might be disappointed. The only kinda dancin I was ever good at was between the sheets. Can’t dance in the sheets without a fuckin pole. No lady can dance without one either, Nick.”

Nick snarled and Finnick turned running as he jumped. “I’m going to k-Hrk!” He looked up heaving as Boris clutched him in one paw shaking his head. The red fox snarled as he turned and watched Finnick flipping him off as he jumped back in the limo. 

Boris sat Nick back down with a grunt and he straightened his shirt sighing. “I hate feeling like this all the time. You could just make my problem disappear, Boris.” He shot the bear a cheeky smile and Boris grunted with a frown. “Yeah I know it’s not what Mom wanted. I need to get home and check on her. I have to sleep sometime today too.” Boris grunted and Nick chuckled. “I have no idea where she went, but-” He stopped and ticked his head to the side as Finnick’s ears tilted out the window. “It was nice talking to you again, Boris. I love these conversations.” The bear chuckled as he held a set of keys out and Nick smirked as he grabbed them. “You remembered?” 

Boris opened the front door and Nick jumped behind the driver’s seat after Raymond jumped out. He waited for both bears to settle in the back and close the doors before he started the limo. The window between the front and the back rolled down and Finnick pulled down a cup holder, using it to jump on the top of the seat and crawl through the window. He tumbled down the front of the seat and Nick looked at him glaring when he snickered. “Aww what ya aint got no redwood for me no more?”

“I’ve got redwood alright, Finnick. With a space the middle.” He shoved Finnick over to the passenger seat and motioned between them. Nick shook his head as he adjusted the seat and petals. “Stay over there or I’ll rip you a new one with it. I just want to relax and try to calm down before I get home.”

Finnick curled one side of his lip and sighed. “Ya know ya PMS like a bitch, and I would know.” 

Nick snarled at him as he grabbed the steering wheel. “I should have known you’d never change and the only reason I ever tried was because Mom asked me too. Why the hell she thought that was possible or you were worth the effort, after what you did, I’ll never understand. You aren’t good for anyone to be around. I’m sick of this crazy shit and want off this ride with you.”

Finnick growled lowly as he looked out the window. “I aint got off on nothin in years. Make up your damn mind. Off or on. Nicky.”

Nick grabbed him and snarled in his face. “Don’t call me that! She’s the only one who ever call—

Finnick smirked as Nick’s face dropped. The smaller fox nodded and Nick sat up blinking as he looked around. “Mr. Big calls me Nicky…. Boris?” The bear looked through the window as Nick glanced in the mirror. “How did you and Mom fall in love, again?”

The bear grunted and Nick narrowed his eyes as Finnick fell over laughing in the seat. “DAMN, PUP - YOU THICK!”

“It wasn’t Boris? It was Mr. Big?!” He asked as his eye twitched a few times. “Why didn’t she just tell me? How the hell would that have been any differ….” He looked beside him and watched Finnick’s face fall flat as the smaller fox tipped a brow.

“Cause ya got a temper. She didn’t want ya to eat him and have the bears kill ya for it. You got outta paw and all Boris had to do was grunt. Ya filled in the rest of the blanks on your own. Lot’s a empty spaces ya filled with what ya wanted or needed to believe.”

“What else did she not tell m…?” Nick looked out the window and back down as Finnick’s ears pinned back. “You two were?”

“You know better than that, Pup. No. Never. She was a lady.” Finnick shook his head at Nick. “What is it ya got to bitch about anyway? Does it matter anymore? Ya talk shit about me and we used to be like twins. Laughing about the same kinda shit that pisses ya off now and used to drive her nuts. Ya got enough brains to know why she was like that with you and your friends?”

Nick nodded as he looked out the window. “A bunch of teenagers always hanging around. She said she never wanted me or any of my friends to be uncomfortable talking to her about those things. So, it just became a joke. And you went along with it? Why?”

“The same reason she did. It made ya laugh, she laughed when you laughed. It became funny to her because for long time, nothin about it wasn’t funny.” Finnick shrugged as Boris peeked over the seat and leaned away grinning as Raymond chuckled.

“She joked about the things that bothered her the most?” Nick looked back and saw Finnick looking out the window chuckling. “And… so did you….” Nick mumbled as Finnick sighed. “She’s the reason you went to jail? You were there? You almost beat that guy to death. It was the same… place…… You’re the one who kept her from getting hurt that night?” 

Finnick’s ears tipped back as he looked up scowling. “I was glad ya sold them that damn rug and they met.”

“Fuck you.” Nick spat as he looked over with a thin smile and narrowed eyes.

Finnick sighed as he nodded. “Yep, fuck me runnin- upside down, backwards up a hill in the snow. Would ya? I’d let ya.” He bounced his brows as Nick raised one and shook his head. “At least I’d be getting some kinda action if ya did. Ya wanna keep talking about the ins and outs that happened years ago? Cause this whole conversation is borin me to death. Ya turned into a stick in the mud since ya left and got all righteous.”

Nick looked at him in a playful scowl and smiled. “Things might be right with us, but I’m not putting my stick in your mud or boring you to death, Finnick.”

Finnick laughed as Nick smirked and started driving. “Well Fuck. Then ya aint no good for me either.” The car passed the subway just as Judy rushed down the stairs and ran through the mammals standing around waiting and onto the train. 

The doors closed as she grabbed the pole and panted trying to catch her breath. The doe jumped as a tiger bumped her. The cat tipped his head and smiled as he sat down. He carried a saxophone in one paw and looked up with all the other passengers as the speakers overhead blared. “Next station stop is inbound at twenty-three minutes. Be advised the police have listed an all-points bulletin warning for all predators in the Zootopia area.”

Judy cringed as she watched a mother bunny pull her daughter away from the large cat after he sat down beside them. The tiger sighed as he pulled his saxophone in front of himself and scooted the other way. “Can you play something?” He looked up in shock as Judy grabbed an elephant’s tail trying to keep from falling over. The cow looked back seeing Judy and giggled as she shook her head. “I’m so sorry.”

The older elephant just shrugged. “It’s ok. I miss my little ones being at home and they all had a habit of grabbing my tail.”

Judy froze as a memory jogged and slammed her eyes shut. “You don’t just go around grabbing other people’s tails!” Her whole body flushed as her ears dropped. “Oh gods, I grabbed his tail!” 

The tiger chuckled and she looked up blushing when he leaned forward. “Did he object?” When she grabbed one of her ears that had fallen onto her chest, he laughed. “Got a song in mind?”

“Try everything?” 

He nodded as he adjusted the reed and checked all the buttons. “Good song. Males are from Mars. Females are from Venus. Put them together and you might be walking around on an alien planet. But it’s always interesting when you’re the alien. Who’s the lucky buck?” His head tipped to the side as she chewed her lip. “Not a bunny?” Judy looked to the side and caught a red tail waving back and forth and whined lowly as a fox tail fell next to its owner’s leg. “A fox?” he whispered as the tod leaned over reading a printed paper. She groaned as she closed her eyes. He chuckled before he started playing and started walking around the car with a heavy jazzy melody following him. The train stopped and the doors opened, letting passengers come and go. Judy growled as her eyes flashed red. She rushed from the train running again…...

Wolford tipped the cup and drank the rest of his coffee before he sat it down and sighed. He looked up grinning as April refilled the cup. The little deer wiped off the counter as Ginger carried a few boxes behind the counter. “What are you doing here this early?” 

Ginger sat the boxes down and gave some papers to April before she turned and leaned on the counter yawning. “I’m not staying. I just brought supplies for the shift. Why are you here this early? Where’s Nick?” 

Wolford shrugged. “He’s supposed to meet me here in half an hour. I’m just unwinding before I go home. Probably with that strange bunny again.”

Ginger giggled as she poured herself a cup of coffee. “You think she’s strange?”

Wolford nodded as he stuck a spoon of sugar in his cup. “I guess I just don’t know a lot about her. I’ve never seen a bunny eat meat or have red eyes.”

“Red eyes?” She asked as she poured creamer in her coffee.

“Yeah, I’ve seen her eyes turn red a few times. It’s just strange.”

Ginger sat up and dropped her brow as Wolford tapped her shoulder. She jumped and he waved a paw in front of her before she shook her head. “She eats meat? Bunnies are born with red eyes. They don’t change colors like that.”

Wolford tipped his head to the side as she chewed her lip. “This bothers you… She has some fox in her family line. I just figured it may have been something in her genetics. Why does it bother you that much?” 

Ginger looked back out the window nervously as Wolford nudged her again. “Demons and monsters come in all shapes and sizes Wolford. They can only be killed with certain things. A demon with red eyes can only be killed if the host dies or with an item filled with love and used for a noble sacrifice, or a knife made with flint. Do you know where he is?”

Wolford shook his head. “His phone is broken. He said he had to get a new one today, but he left with her this morning.” His phone rang and he picked it up as she turned around and grabbed a box. “Hello?” His ears tipped and he shook his head. “What? Now? Yeah I’ll be there.” He sat some change on the counter and got up as he grabbed his hat.

“I thought you were off duty?” Ginger asked and he nodded.

“I was. We’re short pawed right now and there is some kind of problem at one of the subway stations. They need a more experienced officer on the scene. Tell Nick to let me know when his phone is working. They want him there too. I have to go.”

“Be careful Wolford. Beware the one of shaded tails.” He tipped his hat after sticking it on his head and walked out the door. Ginger watched him getting in his car as a white limo pulled around the corner.

Finnick looked up at Nick sneering. “Have ya lost your damn mind?”

The fox looked in the mirror and turned biting his lip as Boris and Raymond narrowed their eyes. “Eh- he, yeah, I wasn’t thinking. Not a good idea for you guys to be seen with a cop who is showing it off on a shirt, even if it’s not a uniform. It’s been a really long time since I’ve been in one of these cars or hanging with any of you guys.”

A bag was tossed over the seat and Nick blinked as a smile slowly spread. “You still keep the panic bag in the car?” Finnick started grinning as Nick drove around the corner and pulled into a parking lot. “I can’t believe you still have this in here.” He pulled the shirt out and looked at the tie shaking his head. “Oof- I had horrible taste when I was younger.”

“Had?! We all seen your last girlfriend.” Finnick barked. Nick pulled the pink pawaiian shirt over his ZPD t-shirt and looked at him narrowing his eyes as he flipped the tie over his neck. The smaller fox fell over laughing as he folded the red tie over and made a condescending face as he shook his head. 

“I suppose I should go home first. I bet Wolford isn’t even at the Pig Sty anymore anyway. He’ll be waiting so he can chew my ass when I get back.” He looked at his wristwatch and sighed.

“Pig sty. Pah. It was better as Pozasski’s. Why the hell did she change the name of that place?” Finnick asked and Nick gave him a look that asked-really? Finnick rolled his eyes. “Stupid question. Now that all you cops is hangin out in there all the time. Used to like that place.”

“Yeah well, she’s making better money now that it’s open twenty-four hours a day. All the cops are in there after every shift. With the little diner she has and a bar open on top of it, we can go there to unwind after whatever shifts we’re working.” Nick pulled his seat belt back over his chest and rolled his neck. 

“Ya see her a lot then? Ya know she’s had a thing for ya since ya was younger.” Finnick asked as he looked out the window and Nick looked back at him and smirked.

“She is very Spicy, but I like Carrots.” Finnick laughed as Nick put the car in gear. He drove around and stopped at a little pastry shop. Boris and Raymond both shook their heads refusing anything and Finnick said he had plans. He made a few quick purchases and drove back to his apartment. Finnick leaned over looking into the box and coughed as Nick glanced at him. “What? I asked her to come back to the apartment. I’m sure she’s hungry. You don’t think she’ll like any of what I picked?”

Finnick fell over cackling as Nick shook his head. He shifted the gears and put the car in gear, driving to his apartment. He left the limo, letting Raymond back in the front as he held a box and two cups in his paws.

Finnick jumped on the door handle and looked out the passenger window. “Keep this shit on the low, Nick.”

Nick chuckled as he nodded. “Yeah. You still have a reputation to keep.” The smaller fox tipped his head to the side as Nick raised a brow.

“That new girl of yours has teeth and claws too. Make sure you listen, Pup.”

“If you’re going to be hanging around with her and doing whatever it is you’re doing- you better not be-” Finnick sneered and Nick cringed as he held up a paw and nodded. “Yeah, sorry. I should have known better.”

Finnick smirked as he cocked his head to the side and glanced behind the red fox. “Don’t let her tear ya to shreds. That girl might eat ya if ya don’t listen.” 

Nick scrunched his face, shaking his head as Finnick fell into the seat, the tips of his ears barely visible over the door. He watched them drive away before he looked around for Wolford’s car and scratched his head, wondering why he wasn’t home sleeping yet. He turned and jumped as Judy stood in front of him, wondering how she had managed to sneak up on him without him noticing her and rolled his eyes as he inhaled, pulling her scent in from under his nose as he chuckled. “Hey Carrots. I got breakfast.” She looked at the box and sighed as he handed her a cup of coffee and the box before he opened the door.

Mrs. Beesly was standing at her door, digging through the box at the side as Nick and Judy reached the top of the stairs. She turned and started grinning as Nick pulled his keys out of his pocket. The fox winked at her and she giggled as she watched the bunny behind Nick wiggling her nose and keeping her eyes glued to the walls. “Very ugly paint isn’t it?”

Judy nodded and froze as another memory slammed her eyes. “On the cover of that magazine with- sweet cheese and crackers.” 

Mrs. Beesly laughed as Nick turned around and leaned over smirking as he bounced his brow. “I didn’t think they let foxes pose in Play Bunny magazines. Not even the hot foxes.” Mrs. Beesly hissed as Judy’s ears dropped and went back into her apartment closing her door as Nick took the box and opened his door. 

She shook it off as he turned grinning. “How do you know about Play Bunny magazines? They only take pictures of pretty rabbits.” 

His ears pinned back, and she laughed, walking around him as he cleared his throat. She sipped her coffee watching his ears tint as he pulled at his tie. “I got some doughnuts for breakfast.” Judy froze again as he opened the box and cringed as he looked at her face. “I wasn’t sure you would want them because of all the sugar so I got you some pretzels too.” Nick cringed as she hacked on her coffee and scratched his neck shaking his head as she kept coughing. “You don’t like them either? Its just bread tied in a knot. I can lick the salt off if you don’t like it. Ugh, maybe Finnick was right and I should be getting off this roll with you.” Nick jarred as she dropped her coffee and ran into the bathroom slamming the door. “What’d I say?!”

He heard the water come on and rushed into the room, pulling the curtain back and lifted a brow as she stood under the water in her clothes. “Are you… What are you doing?”

Judy looked up at him and he raised a brow as she panted and heaved each breath. “I can’t get excited around you, Nick.”

“Excited?” he asked as he looked over her wet clothes and cleared his throat, catching the wet dress clinging to her. His ears tipped back as she slammed a paw over her nose and turned like she was trying to drown herself. 

She looked up shaking her head when he curled one side of his lip up. “I can’t handle the things you say or the way you smell . It’s like-

“Look- if you don’t like the way I smell, I’ll just use some of that damn cologne I still have from-

“YOU SMELL LIKE-” Judy’s eye twitched as another memory tipped her head and Nick watched her slide against the wall as she folded her knees groaning. Heaven and hope…

He jumped in and pulled her up with him, shivering under the cold water. “Do you want me or not? Yes or no?!”

“Oh, Gods Yes.” She answered looking up at him and he smiled as he leaned his muzzle closer to hers. 

The fox sighed as she turned her head. “You know I’m getting a whole lot of mixed signals here I really don’t understand. You don’t act like you want to stay, but you act like you don’t want to leave. We’ve already tethered each other, or tagged- claimed- whatever you want to call it. If you’re afraid of my claws or teeth or hate the way I smell. I get it. You’re either in or out, Carrots. This needs to stop before it goes any further if it’s just a damn game.”

“It’s not a game Nick! You have no idea how serious this is!” 

He looked at her trying to brush off the cold water seeping into his skin as she shivered. “You’re freezing. Let me warm you up and turn the-

“You warming me up is the problem. I don’t want to hurt you. Or worse, I might kill you! I turn into a snarling monster with teeth and claws and…” She looked up as he growled low enough her ears shot straight.

Nick huffed as he turned the hot water on and stood in front of her again with his paws on his hips. “Your curse again?” he rolled his eyes and shook his head as she covered her face and groaned. 

“YOU THINK THIS IS JUST SOME STUPID THING I MADE UP TO MESS WITH YOU!?”

“YES! That is the most ridiculous thing I have ever heard! You’re cursed so you can’t get…” She narrowed her eyes on him and he bit his tongue nodding as he pulled his lips into a sour pucker. “You want me to believe that you want me, but you can’t have me because you’re cursed, and you’ll change if I get you get excited? You aren’t afraid of me but want me to think I need to be afraid of you? O.K. Prove it.”

“You want me to prove it?!” He nodded as they stood under the water trying not to growl. “O.K. Go for it, Slick!”

Nick leaned forward tipping her head back and pulled her to her toes as they fell into a kiss that left her panting as he stood up grinning. “Not excited enough yet?”

“I’m…. getting there. Keep going.” He chuckled as she wrapped an arm around him and stepped out of the shower with one arm curled around her waist. They rolled along the wall until he had her on the mattress and buried his muzzle in her neck nibbling on her as her paws curled the back of his shirt in bunches between her fingers. Judy groaned as his paw clutched one of her hips and hissed as he licked the inside of one of her ears. He nudged his nose into her chin, bunting his head under hers as he heard the fabric of the old shirt he was wearing over his ZPD t- shirt - tearing.

“N-Nick… You’re driving me…” She huffed as her claws started growing and clenched her eyes shut as he chuckled.

“Oh, I am? I knew you weren’t going to change. See, it was just in your head, if you’d just relax you’d see that. And I was wrong about the not wanting me part because you smell like-” He leaned up as he brushed one of her ears and jumped up screaming as it fell off in his paw. He dropped it, jumping back again with his heart racing. “HOLY SHIT!” Nick slammed against a wall shaking his head. Judy’s bottom jaw had jet out over the top, with teeth that had grown making her look similar to a bulldog, paws with claws that had extended into what looked long enough to be sharp sickles for a bunny to have. Her ears had shrunk and fallen off and her fur had thinned out revealing bright pink skin that showed through as she dropped her eyes.

Judy shivered as she stood up frowning at him. “See! I told you!”

“Well…make it go away! Get back in the cold water!”

“It doesn’t work like that, Nick! It has to go away on its own. I told you! Now I’m ugly!”

Nick cringed as she turned around and rubbed his head. “Uhm. How do you know you’ll hurt somebody? Have you ever tried to…go any further than… this?” he watched her shaking her head as he chewed his cheek. “How bad does it get?”

She laughed and started snorting as he leaned into the wall. Nick swallowed when she turned around looking like a pudgy squat little canine with coke bottle glasses. A long sweater hung over a dress that was wrapped around tight fat rolls as she ran her paws along her sides and slammed against the wall as he tilted his head to the side and cringed. “Oooh you have to meet my family! I’ll look around and see what all we need to make them something to eat when they get here! You’ll love my mother! She’ll be moving in with us after we get maaaaried!”

Nick’s eye twitched as he watched her going into the kitchen area. He tipped over and stuck his tongue out shaking his head. “Oh Gods- It’s the- what the hell was I thinking, how drunk was I last night- next morning walk of shame date that wouldn’t leave girl!” He stepped around the wall watching her dig through his cabinets and stuck a finger up. “Hey you can’t-

The- used to be Judy figure- (Jennifer Antlerson when your drunk and a frumpy Joanah Rivers you’re your sober girl) disappeared behind the wall as Nick started leaning over and he jumped as an older vixen wearing a moo moo and a long robe stepped from behind the wall. “Aunt Milly?!” His face fell as she pulled her black lips over gums that held no teeth.

She shook her finger at him as he leaned away with wide eyes and shook his head. “What? No body is good enough for you? Love doesn’t always come in a perfect package. Do you think you’re better than everyone else just because you’re a cop now? Why can’t you just find a nice vixen to settle down with anyway?” She asked as his eye ticked again.

Nick cupped is paws over his ears shaking his head. “Oooh, Gods – Judy, make it stop!”

The vixen in front of him morphed into something that looked similar to Judy with horns instead of ears and he gasped before running into the bathroom and slamming the door. “Nick! Open the door! I want a piece of your tail!” she growled as he closed his eyes and shook his head.

Nick jarred several times and pressed his feet into the floor when she shoved against the door. “You know I’m not sure what you mean by that statement, but I don’t think I want to find out! This is no good for me, Carrots!”

The door went still, and he perked his ears as he heard a sniffle. “You don’t want me? You don’t think I’m pretty anymore, do you?”

Nick sighed as he heard her sniffle again and cringed as he opened the door, slowly peeking out from behind it as he looked around. Judy stood there just as she had been before everything had started, with her paws covering her eyes as she tried not to break into tears. Nick stuck a finger under her chin and pulled her eyes to his as he looked her over and smiled. “I think anyone who sees anything else probably needs glasses. Maybe we can find a doctor who can help with…...this.” 

Judy groaned. “A witch doctor maybe. A doctor isn’t going to be able to help with a curse, Nick.”

Nick stepped closer and her eyes turned a bright red as her nostrils flared. He stepped back nodding uncomfortably and blew out a breath as her eyes shifted back to purple. “O.K… Maybe I should start wearing the cologne again.”

“NO! I LOVE THE WAY YOU SMELL!” She screamed and he jerked, snickering as she slammed her paws over her muzzle. Her voice was low as he perked his ears. “It didn’t help when you had it on, I could still smell you under the violets in it.”

Nick looked off scratching under his chin and nodded. “Maybe you should wear it. I didn’t realize how much I couldn’t smell while I was wearing the stuff, until I stopped wearing it. Of course, the only thing I can smell now is the same future you smelled.” He smirked as her ears tipped up. “The only thing I can smell now- is you…and me.”

Judy clamped her eyes shut and shook her head as her nose wiggled. Nick leaned closer chuckling as he brushed his fingers over her arm and shot upright as she growled. She slammed both paws over her muzzle shaking her head. “I’m sorry, Nick! I’m sorry!”

She rushed out the window laughing as he leaned over cupping a paw over his muzzle. “How can this be wrong when it’s right? What did that wolf say? I have to find a host or figure out how to tame the…” He looked off and flipped his ears back as he stuck his paws on his hips. “How the hell did that wolf know my name earlier? I wasn’t wearing my uniform shirt with my name plate on it.” He cleaned all the water up from the floors and being in the shower with their clothes on and went back to his car so he could get back to the fairgrounds and ask some questions. As he turned the key, the only response he got was a click.

Nick groaned as he slid into the seat and pushed in a button on the dash. He had left the headlights on and completely drained the battery. He was rubbing his temples as someone tapped on his window and looked up grinning as Mrs. Beesly swung a pair of jumper cables back and forth outside his window. The little bear was giggling as Nick popped the hood and stepped out of his car. He waited for her to pull her car around and hooked up the cables after hopping off her bumper. “How’d you know I was sitting out here in the car?”

She laughed at him as he rolled his eyes. “It’s the same fire escape in your window as mine. Plus, I could see the lights on last night, but I wasn’t going to smash your window after you went to work. Probably still wouldn’t have seen you soon enough to tell you. You two must have been in a hurry if Wolford didn’t notice.” Nick reached through the window and turned the key a couple of times until it started and nodded.

“It was probably dead before he got here. It’s not like you’d pay much attention to headlights being on at noon. I seem to be having problems with batteries lately, but I don’t think I’m the only one.” He chuckled and she raised a brow as he laughed at an inside joke. “Or maybe it’s just my brain. I need to go get a new phone while I’m thinking about it too. Did you see Fort earlier?”

Mrs. Beesly looked up at the apartment nodding. “He came in around two. I said hello to him when I heard him coming up the stairs. He wasn’t in a very good mood. He was arguing with someone on the phone when he left. That was a couple of hours ago. I think it may have been your boss.” Nick cringed as he nodded, and she raised her brows as he stuck a paw on his hip and scratched his head. “Did you get him in trouble?”

“I don’t think so, but I might be in trouble. I better get going so I can get ahold of him and find out what’s going on. We usually meet at the Pig Sty for coffee in the mornings, but I missed him earlier. Thanks Mrs. Beesly.” She tossed the cables back in her car and they both waved as he drove off. 

Nick left the car running as he went into the cell service store. After an hour and a half filling out papers for a new contract, setting up a new phone with the same number and grabbing something else he was grinning ear to ear about, the first thing he tried to do was call Wolford. The phone rang several times and he shook his head as the voicemail picked up. It was unusual he wasn’t answering the phone the way he’d been nagging lately. But Nick figured with it getting close to three he’d already gone home and went to bed again. He tried to call him one more time before he tossed the phone on the passenger seat and drove back to the fair grounds. 

After parking his car and making sure it would start again, he looked everywhere for the little caravan of wagons and went back to his car shaking his head. He was stopped by a mammal yelling at him. “WOAH, MAMMAL- WHO TOOK A SWIPE AT YOU?” Nick turned and saw an armadillo pointing at him and pulled off his shirt, blinking at the claw marks that had shredded it down the back. “You’re a cop?” Nick chuckled as he tossed the shirt in the backseat of his car and nodded as the armadillo looked at his ZPD t-shirt. “Well I hope you got whoever did that. Looks like they could have torn you in half.”

Nick watched the guy waddle off and looked at the shirt after he jumped in the car. “She probably could have with those claws and teeth but …. she didn’t. She ran away…...” He picked up his phone and dialed the same number. He meant to tell his partner that he wouldn’t be back for a while because there was something he needed to take care of. He wasn’t going to tell him he was going to find Finnick or where he was pretty sure the smaller fox was, but he shook his head as it went to voicemail again. He looked out the window shaking his head when he still didn’t spot his partners car. His ears perked as a thought had him calling another number. All the officers knew they couldn’t keep their personal phones turned on when they were working as the line clicked and a cheery voice answered. “Precinct one, this Is Albert, how may I direct your call?”

“Hey, its Nick Albert, have you seen Fort today? Did he pick up another shift or something?”

“I don’t know. Sorry, Nick. I haven’t seen him.”

Nick thanked him and hung up shaking his head. “Where the hell are you, Fort?...........”


	15. Fast Cars

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Just Drive

Prince; Little Red Corvette

Rascal Flatts; Life Is a Highway*

Wolford parked at the train station and waded through the crowd until he reached the stairs. He could hear a female screaming hysterically as he pushed past the last of the crowd into the officers standing around a perimeter marked off with yellow tape. “What do we have?” He asked as he looked around, shaking his head at Snarlov and Fangmeyer being on scene and out of uniform.

Fangmeyer leaned over and grabbed his shoulder shaking her head. “Chief is on his way. He doesn’t want anyone else looking at anything until he gets here. He’s bringing somebody with him, and the detectives should be here within the next twenty minutes. All the subway cars traveling through here have orders not to stop at this junction. That’s why they’re moving so fast through the tunnel. There’s too much risk of contaminating the scene if people are getting off the rail cars. Higgins quartered off the area. We need help keeping the press back and getting the station cleared.”

He nodded as he looked around and caught Snarlov sitting on one of the benches looking whiter than his fur already made him appear. “Snarlov?” 

Fangmeyer looked back at her partner and shook her head. “We were on our way back from the coffee shop on tenth street. We got off the next train and were on scene after it happened. We weren’t even on duty. Pennington is bringing our shirts but it’s not like it’s going to matter at this point. They already know who we are.” Wolford kept ticking his ears back as a bunny was brought around the corner screaming. 

“I thought the warning was for us to be afraid of them! I thought we were supposed to be afraid of them! He was sitting right across from us!” She screamed again and Wolford shook his head as a ram carried a younger bunny behind her mother while she clung to his wool sobbing. “That poor fox! No prey mammal could do that! No predator could do that! It was…...unnatural even for animals!”

Wolford’s ears shot up as he watched Snarlov cup both paws over his face and fall forward. Fangmeyer grabbed his arm. “Wolford, don’t.” He jerked away as she shook her head. 

He moved past several other officers and a large brick pillar that had been painted white and caught the sight of red fur and a long tail soaked in blood as he stepped around the corner. His eyes closed as he stopped breathing and he turned on his heel as he grabbed the next pillar keeping himself from falling over. 

“Officer Wolford.” He looked up trying not to be sick as Chief Bogo squared his shoulders and looked around. Wolford stood at attention and recomposed himself as Chief Bogo nodded. “You are not needed in this area at the present time. Make sure all civilians are kept away and tell the other officers to keep the press back. Where is your partner?”

Wolford shook his head and kept a flat face as he caught a striped rabbit in chains standing beside the bull in an orange jumpsuit. “Sir.” He almost growled as Bogo narrowed his eyes and shook his head. “You think its appropriate to have him here? IS he a suspect?”

“No. He made a deal to help with this case since he had an idea of why others do this kind of thing.” 

Wolford curled his lip as Jack looked around him grinning and bounced his brow. “Not particularly my style, I prefer to make them into…

“Savage, Your deal won’t matter if you screw with me or my officers.” Bogo growled as Wolford narrowed his eyes. The rabbit shrugged and closed his mouth as the bull looked over his shoulder. “Pennington.” The cow moved closer and waited as Bogo looked around. “There is a liaison from the mayor’s office on her way to explain to the press why Jack the Savage is here. She will be coordinating all the media now that this is public. We can’t keep this under wraps any longer with this being in the subway like this. She’s going to be setting specific times for press conferences regarding the case and the mayor’s office will be putting the media on notice for behaviors while the case is being investigated. I need a barrier.” She turned as Wolford looked up at him fighting not to pull his lips back. Chief Bogo raised his brows and Wolford backed down as the bull snorted.

Wolford sighed as he cupped his paws behind his back and stood at attention. “Orders, Sir?” 

The bull nodded as he looked around and caught a white vixen trying to get through the crowd. “Savage will be helping us with this case in finding another known serial killer. If you cannot handle this case or believe you are not fit for the mental tole it will take, I will assign another officer. We have detectives on the way, and I’ll debrief you on it later. If you cannot keep your composure while I handle the press and assist him, I will let Fangmeyer take over. I want as little officers involved as possible. Can you handle this, Officer Wolford?”

“Yes Sir.” He answered and Bogo nodded as Jack shuffled his feet in the chains. 

Chief Bogo leaned over and cupped Wolford’s arm as he stayed behind Pennington. “He is not what he appears to be, but make sure if you are caught on camera, they see him as a prisoner and nothing else. No one but you is to know any differently.”

Wolford nodded as Bogo stepped beside Pennington and called for everyone’s attention. He waited until the officers had everyone’s attention as the press tried to find out what had happened, focusing their attention on Bogo and the white vixen. He pulled Jack around the corner where he sucked in a breath and tried not to look at the fox who had been torn to shreds. Jack glared at Wolford as he folded his knees looking around the scene and shook his head. “You don’t trust me.” Jack almost asked in a low voice as Wolford kept his eyes on him.

“I have no reason to.”

“It’s more than that.” Jack whispered as he looked up and tipped his head to the side as he narrowed his eyes. “I remind you of someone, don’t I?” Wolford scowled as Jack turned is head and looked around again. “We have very similar ears, don’t we? That doe and I?”

The wolf looked back at Jack and his lips twitched as the buck looked back at him with a slightly disturbing smile. “You know her?”

Jack grabbed a small piece of paper from the floor and picked up a single strand of fur lying next to the body. “We’ve met. But I probably know as much about her as you do, which is very little. You have something against rabbits?” Wolford scowled and Jack smiled as he looked back towards the cameras and turned his back on them again. “What would you do to keep a partner safe? He’s more than that to you though, isn’t he?” Wolford started a growl that he bit back as Jack looked back at him nodding his head. “A partner, a pack member or a brother would be what others might assume, but I doubt you even understand what he is to you, do you, Officer? You wear it like a flag. I would even go so far as to say he is the same with you.” The buck closed his eyes as his nostrils flared and stood slowly as he looked over a gray piece of fur he had picked up from the ground. His pupils grew as he stuck it under his nose, and he shook his head as he handed it to the wolf and watched him open a plastic baggie he let it fall into. Wolford swallowed the growl he was fighting again as Jack nodded. “You won’t find anything on that fur. No DNA. No scent markers, not even a trace of where it may have been or what it was washed with. But I’ve smelled this before, many times.” 

Wolford looked back watching Chief Bogo introducing a vixen named Skye Winter to the press. She started explaining the case and what precautions were being taken as he ticked his eyes back to the red furred tail Jack had stepped around. “Officer Wolford? Do you know when and where Nick Wilde will be later? We need to bring this bunny in and ask her some questions, without spooking her or letting her know she is a suspect. You are going to have to be very careful around her. She will smell stress and distrust on you like you’re wearing a coat and there isn’t anything we can use to mask it from her, no matter how good you are at reading or hiding body language. So, there are some things I need to know and some things I need to tell you before we try to do anything to get her to come to us. First off, do you believe she is dangerous to anyone and - where is your partner?”

Wolford’s face fell as Jack looked back at him and the cameras. “I said suspect, not guilty. You won’t do him, or us any good if you can’t keep that in mind. Has he tagged her, claimed her?” Wolford nodded as Jack watched him clenching his jaw. “She return it?”

“She claimed him first.” Wolford almost growled as Jack sighed. “Then she won’t hurt him. We can’t kill our own without killing ourselves.”

The wolf glanced at the fox tail and shook his head as he turned away closing his eyes. “That doesn’t mean she didn’t do this, or is good enough for him…  
……………………………………………………………………………………………………………….

Nick pulled into the parking lot and made his way into the building. He stepped to the desk smiling as a sloth moved at a pace that might make a snail look fast. “Niiiiick!” Flash dragged out the word even more than usual as Nick leaned over the desk. 

“I need a favor.” Nick smirked and watched the slow-motion live action drawl as Flash blinked slowly and nodded. “I have a friend who needs a license. I don’t have any of the things she needs to get a permit. Think you can hook me up?”

“You… Want…. Me…. To… Hook… You… Up… Or …Are…. You…. Looking…. For…. A… Hook… Up?”

Nick snickered as he held his paw over the desk and waited for Flash to bump his fist as he nodded his head. “A little bit of both.”

“Ha…ha…ha… Sure…Thing…. Nick.”

Nick waited until Flash had taken all the information he needed and looked out the door. “I’ll be right back, Flash.” He pointed to the bathroom and Flash nodded slowly as he walked away. Nick took care of his business and washed his paws, looking in the mirror when he caught sight of a box hanging on the wall that caught his attention. “I didn’t even think they made those machines anymore.” He looked off and nodded thinking about the all the teenagers who came into the D.M.V. and dug through his pockets grabbing several quarters. He looked around before he bought several little packets. One was ripped open and he was attempting to examine its contents to make sure it was the correct one, but he shoved them in his pocket as the door opened and left, meeting Flash back at the desk. He knew where Finnick stayed most of the time, and right where he’d most likely find Judy.  
………………………………………………………………………………………………………..…….

Finnick fell over, out of the lawn chair as a rush of heat flew by him. He grumbled as he picked up his sunglasses and looked over to the little bridge when Judy screamed. When he got close enough to look around, he tilted his head as he smirked, watching her try to drown herself in the water. He sat on the bank looking over the little riverbed that was usually dry, and chuckled as Judy stood up with her tongue hanging out of her mouth as she huffed. “What’d he do this time?”

Judy sighed and her shoulders dropped as she sloshed out of the water and fell on the grass beside him groaning. “He got me doughnut holes and pretzels.”

Finnick looked off thinking before he fell over and rolled back and forth laughing. “Damn you rabbit’s got dirty minds! Dough…pfft haha…nuts and holes…Hahahaha- pretzels- Sex with knots!” 

“And thanks for getting him on the roll bit and talking about getting off it too, he also mentioned something about licking the salt off the pretzel, Jerk.” Judy snarled as she watched Finnick turning blue. “Now I smell like stagnant pond water.”

Finnick stood up wiping his eyes and motioned back to the hose. “Aww mammal, I hope I’m there when he puts all the pieces together about how bunnies use food references.” He was still laughing as Judy walked back to the hose and pulled her dress off. She left it hanging on a splintered piece of the building before washing herself off with the hose and soap that was still there. Finnick chuckled as she opened the door to the old factory. “Your other clothes are up there still.”

“Thanks.” Judy sighed as she walked up the stairs and pulled the rope up until none of it was hanging anymore before she jumped over the edge. Finnick snickered, listening to her growling as she burrowed under the mulch……

Nick yawned as he stuck the papers Flash had given him in his pocket. Flash had told him not to forget to bring her with her papers before she could get a valid license with a photo. A paper permit would work for the moment and he hopped in the car driving out to a location he hadn’t been to since he was a kit. Finnick smirked as Nick pulled his car up beside his van. He stuck an arm out the window and tossed his shades on the dash before he looked at Finick and tipped his head. “Where’s Carrots?” Finnick tipped his head to the door and watched Nick get out of the car before he followed him up the stairs.

Nick cocked his head to the side making a sour face as he looked over the edge. Finnick chuckled as he looked back at him shaking his head. “She’s a bunny. Burrowed under there somewhere.”

“Carrots?” Nick looked over the edge as Judy’s ears perked, throwing mulch all over the place before her head popped up. He snickered as purple eyes looked up at him. The fox swiveled as she stood and shook herself. He glared at Finnick as the smaller fox stepped closer and chuckled shaking his head.

“Ya done seen her in the fur aint cha? Or close enough anyway. Never figured you for the shy type, Nick. She aint.”

“I’ve noticed.” Nick growled as he rolled his eyes and kept his back facing the area Judy was climbing from. He looked at Finnick growling lowly as the small fox looked back at Judy until he turned facing him again. 

Finnick glanced back as Judy flipped her ears over her shirt and looked up grinning as Nick curled his lip up at him. He shrugged as Judy tugged Nick’s shirt, turning him to face her. Nick shook his head as she stood in an old pair of faded jeans with holes and tears, and a pink plaid shirt that was so worn it looked more like light cotton than flannel. He sighed as she played with one of her ears and chewed her lip, ticking her eyes back and forth between him and Finnick. “Fine.” Nick grumbled as she started smiling. “I won’t say another word about this arrangement, but that doesn’t mean I want to think about it either. Come on Carrots. There’s something I want to show you.” Her eyes got a little wider as Finnick started cackling. 

“Not that!” Nick chuckled as he leaned a little closer. “Maybe later if it’s what you want to see.” She took a step back clenching her eyes and shaking her head. “I was thinking more along the lines of teaching how to drive.” Both their heads snapped to Finnick as he fell on the floor rolling. Nick rolled his eyes to the ceiling. “No wonder I think like I do, growing up around you.”

Finnick wiped his eyes and nodded as he looked down the stairs. “Ya can take her to the old track for that. I’ll be taggin along to keep an eye on things.”

Nick scowled as Finnick raised a brow looking up at him. “Why the hell do you think you need to be around?” He started to pull his lips up and Judy grabbed his paw. He watched her ears drop and groaned as he curled his fingers around hers. “Just meet us there in about twenty minutes. I need to get the car fitted for her.” Finnick nodded as he bit back another laugh, and watched them leaving before he followed them down the stairs. Nick opened the passenger door for Judy and slid over the hood and through the window. He shirked as she looked at him like she was deep in thought. “Habit I suppose. I used to love watching the…”

“Dukes of Hazard?” she asked as he turned the key and looked back at her with both brows lifted. She smiled as he put the car in gear. “I grew up out in the country. There were only a few channels to watch and they always played the same things over and over. I used to dream about driving like that all the time.”

“You grew up in the country, so how do you not know how to drive?”

Judy shrugged as they pulled away from the place and out onto the street again. “I know how to drive a tractor. You don’t need a license in the country for that. Not when all you’re doing is moving things from one farm to another or plowing fields to plant crops.”

Nick nodded as he pulled off onto a little dirt road that had her sitting up as she looked around. “Your high school sweetheart didn’t teach you how to drive his car?”

Judy sighed as she looked around the large track and little dirt paths that came to and from a large oval path. “He had a big van. I wasn’t big enough to reach the petals. When you have almost three hundred siblings who want to get a car, or their license, it isn’t really a priority.” Nick’s jaw fell as he looked at her shaking his head. “It’s not that unusual for bunnies to have that many kits.”

Nick shook off the shock and looked around as he chuckled. “That’s the only reasons you didn’t get your license and learn how to drive? Lots of teenagers have jobs and can get their own car and insurance while they still live at home.” When she looked out the window clutching her ear he chuckled as he nudged her shoulder. “Come on.”

Judy huffed as she looked up and giggled shaking her head. “My dad had an old t-bird he loved to death. He tried to teach me how to drive, but I got nervous and ran it into the light post in our front yard. It was the only thing I could have hit besides the house for about five miles. I drove the insurance rates up for everyone and with that many kits under eighteen being high risk and with how much insurance premiums are for new drivers- I’m sort of the reason they stopped letting anyone under eighteen get a license or a car after I smashed the bumper and folded in the hood.” His head flew back laughing as she bounced her knee grinning. “What is this place anyway, Nick? It doesn’t look like any race track I’ve ever seen.”

Nick nodded as he looked around. “Horse racing. The sport was banned about ten years ago because the horses were being treated so badly by the ones running the races. Their managers were making all the profits and the racers were running themselves to death trying to take care of their families. When they found out a lot of them were suffering from heart problems related to drugs they were using and that the managers were pushing them to use it, they shut it all down. No one really understood what the jockeys were for until it all went public. They said they were riding the horses for safety reasons in case anyone got spooked so they could keep them from stampeding, turns out they were feeding the drugs to the stallions or mares while they were racing. Cars don’t race on dirt. At least not this kind of car.”

Judy nodded as she looked around and chewed her lip. “I’m not going to get in trouble for doing this or get you in trouble for driving your car?” Nick laughed as he leaned back and left one wrist hanging over the steering wheel. He lifted his hips and dug through his pocket before he handed her a piece of paper and she looked it over shaking her head. “How did you get a learner’s permit for me without…” 

He smirked as she looked back at him. “I know people. I already had your birthdate and your full name from the day I arrested you. But we do have to take in your birth certificate and a copy of your social security card when you get your picture taken for the real thing.”

“This address isn’t….” he smiled slowly as her eyes moved back to him.

“No, it’s my address. I didn’t have one for you because you didn’t give one that day. Oh, and I got you…” he leaned over as he opened the glove box. Judy leaned back as his head tipped into her seat. “This.”

He laid a small black flip phone in her lap as he leaned forward. She snapped her eyes to him shaking her head. “Nick, you know you don’t….” When his ears flipped back, she clutched it in both paws as she looked at the floor. 

Nick looked up seeing Finnick’s van roll over a small hill, looking down at the place and rolled his eyes. He scrunched his brow as Judy looked at the van. “What kind of van did Gideon have anyway?”

Judy’s eyes snapped to the front of the car as one eye twitched and Nick smirked as he chuckled. “It was a Lobos? The same model as Finnick’s? No wonder you couldn’t reach the pedals.” He snickered and fell back in the seat as she glared at him.

“Har Har, and how did you learn how to drive?” she asked.

Nick sat up and smiled looking out the window. “I learned how to drive in a big white limo. I was more afraid of the bear sitting next to me than my mother or everyone sitting in the back at the time. Boris just folded his arms over his chest and grunted if I screwed up. If I had hit anything with that car, I was more worried about a bear hug than a damaged fender.”

Judy giggled as Nick shook his head. “You know he kind of reminds me of your partner Wolford? The way they both stand so stiff like that and look around with their arms crossed over their chest like they do. All serious and quiet when they get upset.” 

“Oh. My. Gods.” Nick’s eye twitched as Judy leaned over, watching him blink several times. 

“What?”

Nick groaned as he fell forward and shook his head. “I was really young when I met him. I think I….” Judy tipped a brow as she twisted her head watching his eye keep twitching. “Your ex is a fox, right?” She nodded as Nick shook his head and looked out the window. “Did he ever explain imprinting to you?” Judy’s face lit up slightly as Nick leaned over smiling. “What?”

She cleared her throat and nodded. “He explained it the first time we were…uhm.”

“Oooh.” Nick nodded as she looked back out the window. “How did that happen? I mean him explaining it?”

“I told Mom and Dad we were going to the library. He told me about it later because we got caught in the lie.”

“They weren’t upset about you two being…”

“They were upset because I lied about where I was, but I didn’t lie about who I was with. Gideon said that foxes only did that with family members. He told me all canines did that, but wolves did it more often than foxes because of how they still liked to move in something like a pack. They can imprint on more than just family members. Sort of make mammals they like part of their family. What does that have to do with Wolford?”

Nick shook his head as he chuckled. “Doesn’t really matter now. If I ever pointed it out to him it might make us both uncomfortable. It might be one of the reasons him and I ended up as partners. I think it might be another reason you and Finnick clicked the way you have.” Judy shook her head as he laughed again. “You’re part fox, right?” She nodded as he looked out the window at Finnick’s van and jumped as his phone rang. “You might have imprinted on him because he’s another fox with a big van. Maybe I imprinted on Wolford because of Boris and the fact that Wolford actually talks.”

“Ooooh.” Judy turned the other way as he thrust his hips up trying to get it out of his back pocket. She slipped the phone he had given her under her seat after turning it off. 

Nick yanked his phone out of his pocket and sent the contents flying all over the car. The fox gaped as she looked at all the little silver squared foil packages and back at him wide eyed as he panicked. She covered he mouth with both paws and pulled her feet into the seat as he scrambled trying to pick them up. “I’m sorry! I didn’t mean to make you think… I’m not obscene or, I just…” he shoved them in the glove box and smacked a paw to his face groaning. “You just left in such a hurry the last time we were…and we haven’t… uhm… I got them in case we got past the….ughghgh… Oh Gods.”

Judy could smell the worry as his ears caught fire. He peeked at her and she let her mouth open as she giggled. 

Nick shook his head covering his eyes as he stuck his phone to his ear. “Hello? Hey, Fort.” His eyes ticked around as he settled back in his seat and shook his head. “Why?” When his ears pinned back, Judy’s shot up as she looked back out the window watching Finnick’s van. She turned as Nick sighed and he stuck the phone between the seat in a built-in holder after hanging up. “They closed the fair down early this year. Fort wants to meet me at the Pig Sty later so we can talk. He said he’d explain why then, but I might hear about it on the news first. I guess I won’t have to cut the driving lesson short if I don’t have to sleep before I go to work. We’re all back on normal hours again.” 

Judy nodded and Nick’s ears stayed lit as he looked at the glove box. “I don’t think that by the way. Having condoms in your pocket doesn’t mean sex is the only thing on your mind, it just means you care enough to think ahead.” His ears shot up as he looked at her and she bit her lip as she rolled the window down and pointed to his. “Would you mind letting some air through here?” 

Nick rolled his window down and blinked as she sat up, her nose almost touching his as her eyes fell half lidded. “Slow down though, I’m not going anywhere.”

Nick cleared his throat and was grinning as he reached around her reached across her and popped the door open. “Come to this side of the car, Carrots.” Judy walked around the front and watched his door open as he shoved his seat back and motioned for her to get in. The doe took a step back and he snickered. “You aren’t going to be able to reach the pedals or the steering wheel if I’m not in the seat too. I tried adjusting it for someone your size and it’s not going to work. What are you four feet nothing? There’s no one else here.”

“What difference does that make?” She looked around nervously shaking her head. 

“It’s an abandoned racetrack. You can’t hurt anything or anyone here. There’s a reason they ask how many horses an engine has. There are no other cars around to worry about. The only way you can tame wild horses is the learn how to drive the car.”

Judy dropped her head and narrowed her eyes. “If you make one more inuendo about sex, cars and horses while you are asking me to sit in your lap- I’m going to start thinking you aren’t trying to teach me how to handle the horses under the hood or drive the stick shift that is attached to your car.”

Nick covered his mouth trying to hide his grin as she moved closer looking everything over. “We’d have to be in the back seat for that. Get in the car, Carrots. Unless you’d rather just keep dreaming about driving. What have you got to lose?”

“Me?” She asked. “Not much, but I’d hate to wreck your car, Nick.” 

“It’s not like it’s Corvette, Carrots. It’s not a t-bird either. There’s a full tank of gas.” He smirked as she glanced at him and she rolled her eyes as she stepped around the door and slid into the car. She clenched her teeth when he scooted forward as he shut the door. Her paws clamped on the steering wheel when his legs squeezed her thighs together. “Would you relax, Carrots?” 

She nodded as he showed her where everything was before he turned the key and killed the engine. “Why did you do that?!”

Nick scoffed as she looked back at him shaking her head. “If you’re going to learn how to drive this car, you might as well start at the beginning. Push the clutch in and turn the key. Sometimes it’s hard to start. The clutch sticks.”

“The clutch doesn’t stick, one of the fly wheel teeth that engages the transmission in the sh…” she froze as Nick leaned over and lifted a brow looking at her.

He started smiling and she jerked her head to look back out the windshield, clinging to the wheel as he leaned forward. “I thought you said you didn’t know how to drive?”

Judy blew out a breath as she stayed close to the steering wheel. “I can’t drive. That doesn’t mean I can’t hear and don’t know how cars work. The clutch ‘sticks’ because that little tooth broke off and is catching when you try to shift the transmission. It makes the car jump when you try to put in in gear too. You have problems getting into reverse and fifth gear, don’t you?” Nick nodded as Judy glanced back at him. “It’s because the fork is broken and its stuck in…” 

She grit her teeth hissing as he leaned closer to her ears. “What do you know about cars if you can’t even name the parts?”

Judy’s ears dropped as Nick watched her cringe. “I used to help my dad work on things all the time. It’s a habit using general terms when I describe car parts, because my mother and sisters wouldn’t know what I was talking about if I named them. Dad used to call me Jude the Dude. He said I acted more like a boy than a girl.”

“You miss him?”

“Yes.” Her ears went flat as Nick nodded.

“It’s never too late to go home, Carrots.”

She laughed and shook her head. “It’s not home if you can’t fit in anywhere. I don’t even know what that word means anymore.”

“Maybe you should call sometime. I got the impression they missed you.”

“They?” she asked looking back as Nick reached behind the seat.

“Hang on a second.” Nick leaned behind the front seat and grabbed a red tied with blue stripes and she watched him cut it in half before he grabbed one of her feet. She forgot the unanswered question as he tipped forward.

“EEP! HAHAHA! Hey!” She jerked her foot away as he looked at her and smirked. 

“You may not be able to push the clutch in with it being a car meant for bigger mammals than you. I’m going to tie our feet together so I can help you learn how to work all three pedals and help with the clutch. Give me your foot.”

Judy leaned sideways watching him use the tie he had cut in half to tie his right foot over hers. “Don’t you think my feet should be on top of yours if you’re going to do that?”

“No,” he smirked, and she leaned the other way as he tied their other feet together. He sat back up looking at her with narrowed eyes. “I’m only going to put pressure on your feet when or if I need to. I’m not going to drive for you. Think of it like...training wheels or something. Let’s get this show on the road. Life is a highway and it’s all a fast lane. If you aren’t driving it will either pass you by, run you over or leave you behind. Put one paw on the stick shift and one foot on the clutch and brake.” He motioned to the key and Judy gulped as she turned it, feeling one of his feet lift and press the clutch over hers before he grabbed her paw and folded his fingers over hers on shifter. “You’re just having a conversation with a car and the road, Carrots. Push the clutch in to downshift when you need to slow down. If your ears really are that good, the motor will tell you when to shift gears. We don’t have much time left for this today. I need to meet Fort in a couple of hours. Let’s get some distance between here, and there.” He watched her gulp again as she looked over everything in front of her. “There’s nothing to be afraid of, is there? Or are you scared?”

Judy blew out a breath as she closed her eyes. “There’s nothing to fear but fear itself.”

“That’s the spirit, Carrots. Let off the brake and the clutch and hit the gas.” He leaned over and the fur on her neck stood on end as he whispered in her ear. “Step into those shoes. We aren’t getting anywhere sitting here in first gear. The only way to tame the wild horses is to…Drive.” She looked back at him and narrowed her eyes as her ears pinned to her back and turned with a sneaky smile when he tipped a brow at her.

Finnick leaned out his window watching with his ears perked as Nick’s car revved several times. The tires peeled out in the dirt sending the car into a donut, kicking up a cloud of dust that had him waving a paw back and forth in front of his face as he heard Judy screaming. He blinked as the dust settled and looked down seeing Nick clutching both sides of the wheel with his teeth grit in horror, as Judy bounced up and down in the seat. 

“Are you sure your father is still alive?!” He asked and looked down blinking. “Let me swallow my heart so its back in my chest and let’s try this again…” 

Judy looked back at Nick giggling as she tried to keep from jumping in the seat. “Are you sure you want to do this? You’re not nervous or scared?” 

“Not even a little, Carrots.” He spread into a slow smile watching her tail wagging back and forth in a blur against his pants as she slammed the gas again. “OOOH MMYY GOOOODS!” Nick clenched his teeth as he was pressed back into the seat, white knuckling the steering wheel with wide eyes. “NOT SO FAST! SLOW DOWN!”

“AHOOO!” Judy screamed again as the car took off in a shot, crashing through a small rotting gate that led into the racetrack to keep smaller mammals from getting too close. “YEEEHAAAAW!” 

“SHIIIIIIIT!” Nick screamed as he tried to keep from wrestling for the steering wheel or their feet, knowing it would only cause more problems. 

They took off screaming as Finnick tipped a brow and fell over laughing…… 

After Judy had gone around a ninety-degree corner in third gear doing sixty-five miles an hour, Nick slammed his feet over hers and the car ground to a halt. She squeaked as her feet ached and looked back biting her fingers as he fell into the seat cupping a paw to his head panting. “Good Gods you should have been born wild.” Judy giggled as she bit her lip. “I think we’re going to have to change things up a little if the driving lessons are going to continue. The next time I’ll shift the gears and handle the pedals. You just steer the car until you learn how to drive like a normal person and not a speed demon.” He undid their feet and Judy moved back to the passenger seat again.

“Speed demon?” Judy asked as her eyes wandered back out the window. “After everything you’ve seen, you want to do this again?”

Nick shrugged as he nodded. “Did you think you were going to scare me off? I don’t need to control everything you’re doing, Carrots. You just need to learn how to handle the car….and a few other things about yourself.” He undid their feet and Judy moved back to the passenger seat again.

Judy looked back at him blinking and turned in the seat as she glanced at Finnick’s van. “That’s what Finnic...”

Nick narrowed his eyes and looked at Finnick’s van trying not to curl his lip up. “I suppose he knows all about your little problem?” Judy nodded as Nick shook his head. “He wouldn’t say anything else about it?”

“No, and it’s something I didn’t want to talk a whole lot about either.” 

It started sprinkling and Nick rolled up the windows as her eyes fell to the floor. He sighed as he leaned back. “I’m not going to be home until really late tonight. Fort said the Chief wanted to talk to us together before we go to the bar. Can you come by the Pig Sty around eleven? I’d like you to meet some of my friends.” He reached into his pocket and pulled out his billfold, snickering as she turned her head. “I want you to take this and go get another coat, some warmer clothes and something to eat too.” He handed her a credit card and she shook her head. “I won’t tell anyone about how you are. If it’s a secret I can keep it for you. I can wait until you get everything under control.” His eyes sprang open as she jumped and pressed her lips to his and he fell back feeling drunk as she squeaked and hopped back to the passenger seat. 

“I’m sorry! I should have asked! I just…. I don’t understand why you want anything to do with me. I don’t have anything to give anyone and I can’t even…. Nick, you know you don’t have to buy me things just because we’re… It makes me really uncomfortable.” Judy turned her eyes from him for a second before she saw him shift in her peripheral vision and looked back as his head turned the other way.

Nick laughed as he scratched his nose and played it off, looking the other direction as she slipped his card under the seat with the phone he’d given her. “I uhm, don’t have a good reputation with the relationships I’ve had. So, I guess I’m going out on a limb here and maybe it’s stupid for me to say this but I…Well, you weren’t born wild, but maybe I can change your name and fix that. I love you, Carrots.” Her eyes snapped up as her mouth fell open and his shoulders cinched, frowning at the look of shock on her face. “Too soon?” he asked as his ears pinned back. “AHHH!” Nick screamed as she jumped into his lap and started laughing as she dug her claws into his shirt. “Ooh! Wait! HEHEHEHAHAHA! NOT THE SHIRT AGAIN!” ~Riiiiiiip~ “Ahh! Oh damn, I’m going to need a new wardrobe before this story is over!” 

One of his feet shot onto the dash as she grabbed his belt and his other knee jerked up and hit one of the handles next to the steering wheel. Her teeth clamped onto his neck and left him groaning as they ran over his skin. He grabbed the seat with several yips as she nipped at his chest and fell lower dragging her teeth over his hips. Nick’s eyes popped open with a gasp as she somehow managed to slide under the steering wheel.

Finnick stuck his head out the window as the hazard lights and car alarm in Nick’s car went off. He shoved the van into drive and roared over the little hill, sliding next to the car and grabbing his bat as he jumped to the passenger side and grabbed the door handle. Nick’s car was rocking side to side as his ears shot up. “HOW THE HELL ARE YOU DOING THAT WITH MY PANTS STILL ON!” He heard Nick scream and looked out the window, watching his paw slam against the fogged-up driver’s side window and sliding down it, leaving trails where his fingers had been. “OH GODS!” 

Finnick fell over laughing as Judy shot from the other door and looked down from his window as Nick stuck his head out panting. The red fox’s fur was muffled, he had a piece of the arm of a t-shirt still around one bicep and a half dazed look on his face as he looked up. “I’m not sure if I want to kill you for teaching her that or thank you, yet.” His eyes rolled into the back of his head in a goofy smile before he fell back in the seat and sent Finnick rolling again….


	16. Rabbit Raiders

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Invasion

Maroon 5; Moves Like Jagger

Ariana Grande ft. Nicki Manaj; Side to Side*

Judy ran until she didn’t recognize where she was. She looked around panting as the heat under her fur faded and caught a shimmer from a box most people wouldn’t know the use for anymore as she picked up the receiver on an old payphone. She cringed at the scent of worn out phone books, graffiti paint and a stench from a nearby sewer grate as she hit a button….

Stu stopped whistling and picked up the phone. “Yeeeellow. A collect call from who?” Bonnie looked up from the paper as several ears around the room perked, watching Stu blink several times. “YES! I’ll accept the charges!”

“You’re connected Sir.” The operator said as the line clicked.

“Jude the Dude?” Every ear in the room shot up. All the rabbits jumped from their seats and crowded around the older buck as his hat jumped under his brow. 

Judy sobbed as she clutched the phone. “Hi, Daddy.” 

Stu’s eyes fled to the ceiling as he fainted, and he fell to the ground with all the bunnies around him screaming. Bonnie grabbed the phone pulling the cord from the wall and fanning him with his hat as the older kits looked him over. “Bun Bun?”

“Hi Mamma. I…need your help.”

“Of course, Dear! What do you need?” Bonnie listened and was fighting tears as Judy explained everything. She nodded with a small giggle. “We don’t have much. But we’ll manage it. I love you too.” She stood up and placed the old landline phone on the receiver and looked around at all the curious eyes and ears. “Call everybody, brothers, sisters, aunts, uncles, cousins. Judy needs some help.” 

They all took off grabbing their phones as Stu groaned and he woke to find Bonnie standing over him fanning him with his hat. “What’s going on, Bon?”

Bonnie laughed as she helped him off the floor. “We’re going to Zootopia to help Judy.”

“I wasn’t dreaming?! She called?!” Stu leaned against the wall shaking his head as he looked at the phone on the wall.

Judy hung up the phone and grabbed the phone book trying to figure out where she was. A few minutes of looking at street signs and getting a good whiff of what was under the surface and she turned her feet heading back the way she had come from.  
……………………………………………………………………………………………..

Nick pulled into the parking lot and chuckled as he spotted Wolford’s car. He made his way into the precinct and grabbed a shirt from his locker he tossed on. Once he got back up the stairs, he scrunched his brow as Weaselton stood at the desk talking to Clawhauser. “I don’t deal with this kind of stuff anymore.” He heard Duke grumble as he handed the cheetah a package. 

Clawhauser looked over the clip board and nodded as he took it back, along with some papers Weaselton had filled out. “This is the I.D. used to pawn it?”

Nick walked to the desk as Duke shook his head frowning. “Yeah, but I wouldn’t bet on it being real. As soon as that thing popped up on the screen as being stolen, I brought it here. I don’t want any more problems with a certain fox who loves to check on me and he - GAH!” Duke clutched his chest heaving as he turned and found Nick smirking at him.

“Hey Duke.” Nick snickered as the weasel looked up at him scowling.

“Here, you stalker cop. That bunny you was with the other day dropped this.”

Nick took the carrot pen as Weaselton held it out and chuckled as he walked out the front doors shaking his head and muttering under his breath. He stuck the pen in his pants pocket and looked back to Clawhauser. “What was that all about?” he asked Clawhauser as he turned back to the desk.

Clawhauser shrugged as he looked at the box. “Somebody pawned this thing… it’s some kind of special knife that was stolen from the natural history museum. It’s been missing for, gosh more than ten years. It’s lined with flint and is supposed to be a demon killer. It’s strange looking even for something so old.”

Nick looked at it and rolled his eyes. “Medieval craziness that’s only valuable for some kind of historic nonsense.”

“I guess so.” Clawhauser sat the box down as Nick looked around. He caught the picture of the person who pawned it and cringed.

“Do you know him?” Clawhauser asked as Nick bit his cheek and nodded.

On the page sat a clear copy of Finnick’s license as the person who pawned the knife. “Let me find out what’s going on before you say anything would you Benji? I know this guy and he might be an ass, but he’s not a thief.” Clawhauser nodded as he sat back in his chair. “Where’s Fort?”

“Back in the private lounge with the Chief waiting for you.”

“Thanks, Benji.” He waved as he started walking towards the hall behind Clawhauser’s desk. Nick tapped on the door and opened it after he heard Chief Bogo bark it was open. He came into the room and folded his paws behind his back at attention as Wolford sat up in his chair. 

Bogo motioned for him to take a seat as he looked between them. “Officer Wilde, What happened to your shirt?”

Nick cringed as Wolford looked him over frowning. “Sorry, Sir. I was almost late and didn’t have time to change.”

“As soon as we are finished fix that.” Nick nodded as Bogo folded his arms over his chest. “I’ve been given the impression by Bellwether you know someone who may be interested in the mammal inclusion program.” 

Nick looked to Wolford nodding as both their ears tipped up. “I do, but I haven’t talked to her about it yet. I had planned on doing that later this evening, Sir.”

“Good. I’d like you to bring her in as soon as possible so we can talk to her.”

Nick watched Wolford’s ears flick and shook his head slowly. “Is there a rush for some reason?” Wolford sat straighter as Nick narrowed his eyes slightly. “I’ve been partners with you for twelve years, Fort. I already know you don’t like her, and you’re hiding something.”

Wolford looked at Bogo frowning as the bull stood from his chair and walked around the table. “He is hiding the fact that Lionheart has taken a personal interest in this and wants to meet her himself. He would like to see if she has any true potential by having her talk to someone who is helping us with another case.”

“What case?” Nick watched Wolford’s ears tilt back as he looked the other way.

“The Demon Case.”

Nick curled his lips as he pulled his paws from behind his back. “A rookie wouldn’t even be able to look at that case, much less a beat cop! The detectives handle that case! Why do you want her looking at it?! Why now?! There hasn’t been a case since….”

Bogo stood taller and looked down at him with a flat face. “The Demon never stopped. I do not want to lose any more of my officers to this case, one way or another. I’ve been given the impression that this bunny is…different.”

Nick looked back at Wolford growling. “Fuck, Fort! I know you don’t like her, but you think she could do something like that!? What the hell are you-

“WILDE!” Bogo screamed. “What do tiny mouths do?”

Nick clenched his teeth together and folded his paws behind his back, standing at attention again as he dropped his head and folded his ears back. “Shut. Sir.” He answered tight lipped as Wolford sighed.

“I expect you both to stay that way regarding this case. At the moment, I only want her to talk to someone who may have similar skills. How do you believe the best way for her to come in would be handled?” Chief Bogo glanced at Wolford as Nick grit his teeth.

“I believe all anyone would have to do is ask her, Sir.” Nick stated flatly as his ear stayed back. He glanced at Wolford clenching his jaw before he returned his attention to Bogo’s voice.

“See to it, Wilde. Have her come in as soon as possible. I’d like to keep this quiet. I do not want the press finding out anything and start making her a spectacle when Lionheart and Bellwether are both interested in her.”

“Yes, Sir.” Nick spat as Chief Bogo tipped his head to the door.

“Wolford will be taking you to talk to an agent who is helping with this case. He has some questions. I expect your cooperation, Officer Wilde. You will be on special assignment and on call helping with this case until further notice.”

Wolford stood and went to the door as Nick tipped his head again. Nick left the room with tight lips, following his partner. They didn’t speak a word while they walked to an isolated holding cell.  
…………………………………………………………………….

Judy made her way back to Finnick and sat in his van with her head hanging. Finnick drove back to Nick’s apartment and parked in an alley where he wouldn’t be noticed. Several hours had gone by when Judy’s ears sprang up and she leaned out the window as Gideon’s van pulled to the curb, followed by dozens of cars and trucks. She jumped out of the van as Stu and Bonnie left their vehicle and nearly knocked Stu over as she ran into him. “Holy shit, it’s a damn rabbit invasion.” Finnick chuckled, watching her little family reunion. He smirked as he pulled out his phone and typed in the name of the bakery advertisement on Gideon’s van. “Bunny Burrow. Only one local nursing home in that town. Hehehe.” He pulled the van out and watched all the rabbits scrambling around as a ram stood watching with a scowl. Mr. Crowely yanked his phone out and looked through his list of contacts. He found the number he was looking for, but the phone rang with no answer. The ram hung up growling as he searched for another number.   
Wolford grabbed his phone from his pocket and looked at the number as Nick sat down and watched the buck across from him look him over. If it had went off while he was talking to Bogo he would likely be filling out paperwork for a month. He’d turned it on thinking Nick may have called him after finding out Bogo wanted to speak with him, but had been too busy to try to call the fox. “Nick, this is Agent Jack Savalde, he’s undercover working for the Z.B.I. I’ll be right back.” Nick nodded as Wolford left the room and closed the door.

He watched the door close and turned to the rabbit scowling. Jack leaned back and smirked as Nick folded his arms over his chest. “What is it you want to know, Savage?”

Jack chuckled as his ears sprang up. “Savage? I guess you checked on me?” Nick nodded as they both watched each other. “Why would you bother doing that, Officer Wilde? Maybe because of another bunny who is similar?” Nick ticked his eyes to the door and the cameras in the corner of the room on the ceiling and Jack chuckled. “I just want to talk to her, you know? See if she needs some help, or maybe she can help us.”

“Uh hu, right.” Nick growled as he shook his head. “About a case not even we know much about? And what the hell were you doing in holding as a serial killer? I suppose none of that was real?”

Jack leaned back and sighed. “No, it wasn’t. All made up to infiltrate another case I was working on. The case hit a dead end.” Nick scowled at him and shook his head. Jack leaned forward on the bed as Nick sat in an aluminum chair that was in the cell. 

“So, Jack, what is it you want to talk to me about if she’s the one you’re looking for?”

Jack’s face fell flat as they locked eyes. “Straight to the point, aren’t you? I suppose I would be to if someone was asking about my mate, in regards to a murder case.” Nick’s ears sprang up as Jack smiled. “Well, pretty close anyway. She marked you.” He tapped his nose as Nick turned his head and watched him with narrowed eyes. “I just want to know if you think she’s dangerous. I think she is.” He held up his arm and Nick looked at the brace he was wearing and curled his lip up. “Seen anything to indicate she might be? It may be wise to have someone keeping an eye on you with her around.”

Nick scowled as Jack tipped his head. “What’s to tell? You already know she’s like you and I’m not worried she would hurt me. How dangerous are you to be around?”  
Jack chuckled. “It doesn’t bother your ego at all that she is capable of something like, this? That she’s strong enough to take down mammals ten times bigger than her?” He held his arm up and Nick frowned again.

“I don’t give a shit, and every cop can take down mammals ten times bigger than they are. I also don’t give a shit what you or anyone else thinks about her or what she is capable of. If she did that to you, I’m sure she had a good reason for it.”

Jack nodded as he folded his lips over in attempt to show he wasn’t buying it. “She’s not a cop, but she did. Putting a bunny in the wrong cell with convicts who could have done some pretty nasty things to her warranted the behavior from someone she saw as a potential threat, I suppose.” Nick’s ears flicked back, and he cringed as Jack smiled. “Is there any way to get in contact with her right now? You don’t think she’s dangerous, so what’s the problem having her come talk to me?”

“None.” Nick spat as the door opened. “I’ll ask her to come talk to you.” He stood up patting his pockets and shook his head. “I left my phone in my car, but she has one I gave her.” Jack nodded as Wolford came back into the room and stuck his phone back in his pocket.

“Nick, there’s a problem at the apartments. Mr. Crowely is pissed.” Wolford glanced at Jack and the buck’s ears swiveled.

“Officer Wolford, can I call Ms. Hopps with your phone?” Wolford nodded and handed him his phone as Nick rolled his eyes. “Officer Wilde?”

Nick huffed and gave him the number. It wasn’t difficult to remember because all the numbers were the same as his, with the exception of the last two. Jack stuck the phone to his ear after dialing the number and listened as it rang several times, picked up with a recording that said a voicemail hadn’t been turned on. He tried the number again and shook his head as he handed Wolford his phone. “No answer.” 

Wolford grabbed the door handle as Nick stood up. “Well she’s not going to be hard to find with what Mr. Crowley said. She’s at the apartment and causing some problems. He’s threatening to have you evicted.” Nick’s ears shot up as Wolford left the room. 

The fox turned as Jack cleared his throat. “Have her come see me, Wilde.”

Nick nodded as he rushed out the door. 

Jack sat up and waited several minutes before the door opened again. He smirked as Skye sat next to him holding a laptop. “Did you get it?” She nodded as she handed him the computer. He looked over everything and shook his head. 

“Did he lie about the number, Jack?” Skye asked as Jack kept looking at the screen. 

“No, but he was lying about something. I’m not sure what exactly but his heartrate spiked, his pupils dilated, and he started sweating a little when we were talking about her. The way he was sitting, and his stiff movements made it clear he was hiding something. The number is real, but if she’s as smart as I think she is, she would have turned it off. Cell phones are easily traced, especially if they’re on a local network and you know whose account and name they’re under. It’s possible she already knew that if she was ever on a large family plan. Parents can check where their kits are through their phones.”

“You still don’t think we should have someone watching him?”

Jack shook his head as Skye watched him close the laptop. “No. She’s tagged him, and he’s tethered her, so I don’t think he’s in any danger. That doesn’t mean someone else isn’t in danger. I think his partner will be keeping an eye on him. But I think an agent should watch her when they aren’t together.”

“Have someone in mind?” Jack smirked as Skye lifted a brow.

“Nosey reporter sounds like a great idea. Looking for a story on the mammal inclusion program maybe? Someone everyone will notice being around and not think twice about? The other media people aren’t going to question what you are doing if they think you’re working on other stories too. I’d like to try to keep her out of the other press’ range considering we have a good working relationship with Bogo. We’ll have to figure out something you can tell them, so they don’t notice she’s the one you’re watching. Bogo said he didn’t want to get the mayor, or the city involved with this anymore than they already are. I guess if anyone asks you can tell them you’re doing some kind of- humanitarian article on the side that revolves around the officers in Zootopia and how they are helping random citizens. Maybe use the mammal inclusion program like Bogo suggested. Just don’t let them catch wind that she’s the only one you’re watching. If you think a reporter is hanging around and picking up on it, redirect their attention by questioning them and their personal experiences with the Z.P.D. or pull someone from the street and do the same.” He sat up in the chair chuckling as Skye blinked. “His phone number is in there too. I have a tracker on his number and his partner’s. They were both listed in the contacts for the department. We can’t really track her, but since Wilde has made the connection with her already, I don’t think she’s going to get too far from him.”

“They’re mates?” Skye asked.

Jack looked off shaking his head. “That’s the part that’s confusing. The way he acted and smelled would indicate they have ‘claimed’ each other. I guess I shouldn’t be assuming he hasn’t marked her, but the way he acted and smelled indicates he does consider her his mate.” He air-quoted and Skye lifted her ears curiosity. “But they haven’t made it official yet. It’s very strange for a doe who has chosen a mate not to have taken him, even stranger for a fox who has tethered someone or is openly letting their own scent or the mark left on them open to the public like that to not to have finalized it.” 

Skye giggled as Jack tipped a brow and narrowed his eyes. “It’s cute how you won’t just say they haven’t had sex yet, Jack.”

Jack smirked as she laughed. “Crude vixen. I am sure she has baked his bread a couple of times. She just didn’t use the oven or the pan.” He sat up in his seat and tilted his head as he sighed. “It just doesn’t make any sense.”

Skye shook her head smiling. “Why not? If they met each other a few days ago, maybe they are waiting for something.”

Jack nodded as Skye stood up and walked to him. “It’s possible. I didn’t think to ask how long they’ve known each other.” She tossed her jacket into the corner and Jack smirked as it covered the camera. “You really should go start watching that doe, Skye.”

“If she’s like you, isn’t she going to know I’m lying?”

Jack looked off grinning and nodded. “Yes, but that’s probably not an unusual thing for a reporter either and she…...biscuit biters.” He scowled as he shook his head. That’s why she was so aggressive when I met her. I thought it was because I touched her and it was because she was on edge, but it was more than that. If her instincts and sense of smell are as good as mine, I bet she knew I was mated. I might have to rethink how I handle a few things with her, I’ve never been around another Anterior Rabbit. She’ll see you coming from a mile away and connect the dots.” Jack scratched his neck. “Stay away from her for tonight. After I talk to her we can tell her we’re working on the case and trying to make sure no one else gets hurt. It should be enough to placate any suspicions she might have. You should get some baby shampoo and take a bath. It will pull everything from your fur. If she is the person we’re looking for she’ll want to know as much about what we’re doing as possible.”

“Why?” Skye asked and Jack raised both brows.

“You already know that. Most serial killers crave attention and want to get caught. They think they are smarter than most people even though their intelligence is usually the same as everyone else’s. Just make sure you don’t get into a place where you’re alone with her until we know for sure, Skye. I expect Wilde will probably bring her in tomorrow.”

“If we’re going to be apart again for a while after today, Jack….”

Jack snickered as she folded her legs over the chair and dropped her weight in his lap. “This is very unprofessional, Skye.”

“What? Even criminals get conjugal visits from their mates. Are you turning me down? I locked the door when I came in and you’re scheduled for a shower in a couple of hours. No one is going to bother us because Bogo knows were talking about the case.”

Jack watched her pull her blouse over her shoulders. It fell around her waist and he took a deep breath as she leaned back grinning. “Skye is the daily bread of the eyes.” She groaned as he wrapped his arms around her and ran his claws down her back, leaving streaks through her white fur as she arched her back.  
………………………………………………………………………………..

Nick stormed to his car as Wolford followed him to the parking garage. He slammed his door after they glanced at each other and turned the key. When he got no response other than a click, he dropped his head to the steering wheel and turned off the headlights that had killed the battery again. “Fuck.” 

He scowled as Wolford stood in front of his car and pointed to his. “I don’t have any cables. Do you need a ride?”

“Yeah.” Nick grumbled as he got out of his car. Wolford slid in behind the driver’s seat as Nick climbed through the passenger door. He sat down keeping his eyes forward as Wolford started the car and left the parking garage.

“I know your pissed Nick, but I just….”

“Wolford,” Nick growled, and the wolf cringed as he looked back to his partner. “She’s a bunny.”

“Yeah well, she’s not just a bunny is she, Nick? I don’t want to watch her kill you like the last one almost did. You just, got into this so fast and you don’t know anything about her!”

“I know she’s not the kind of person they need to be looking into for murder!” He growled as he looked at Wolford. Wolford sighed as he pulled into a burger joint and Nick looked around shaking his head. “Why are we here?”

“They may not be looking at her for that. If she is like Savalde, maybe she can help with the case. When’s the last time you ate something?”

Nick smirked and looked at the wolf with one raised brow. “Aww my wife is still worried about me even though I’m cheating with a cuter younger lover - he’s trying to get thrown in JAIL!”

Wolford scowled as he slowly turned in the seat and glared at Nick. “Your wife is going to kick your ass, Nick.” 

“Oooh.” Nick hissed as Wolford curled up one side of his lip. “And the claws come out! Didn’t think you were the jealous type, Fort.”

Wolford growled and Nick’s ears shot up as he raised both brows. “Where have you been all day and what did it cost this time?”

Nick sneered as he looked out the window and shook his head. “I was teaching her how to drive and it didn’t cost me anything.”

Wolford narrowed his eyes. “And?”

Nick looked back to him frowning. “I got her a phone, gave her my credit card and told her to go shopping for some clothes. How is that your business?”

Wolford shook his head as Nick looked at him with a tipped brow. The fox grabbed the seat as he was thrown back when Wolford hit the gas. Nick looked back at him stunned as the seatbelt grabbed him, jerking his head as the car veered. The car swerved and did a U-turn as Nick let his jaw fall open.

“Don’t look at me like that, Nick.” Wolford growled as he yanked the wheel again. The fox raised both brows shaking his head as his partner started growling through every word he was trying to spit through clenched teeth. “I swear I have never met a canine- a fox for crying out loud so damn naive in my entire life! I mean Jesus, Nick! It’s bad enough that you pick up every stray you find, but you gave her your credit card for- even after Roxie cleaned out your whole damn apartment! She’s a damn vagabond for crying out loud! How many rabbits have you ever heard of not living in a warren with a million other rabbits or having some kind of roots somewhere?! You gave a homeless rabbit your credit card, apartment keys and pretty much told her to buy what she wanted? HAVE YOU LOST YOUR DAMN MIND?! She’s probably strung out on gods knows what, who knows how long she’s been living on the streets or what Mr. Crowely is going to charge you this time, and Gods forbid Bogo finds out! I had to barter my tail off when the vixen you tried to help a few weeks ago smashed the windows and that rabbit you dated was even worse! It took hours to convince him not to call the precinct when you flipped out because she left!”

The fox shrank as he rethought his most recent attempt at helping someone, a vixen who had been traveling abroad. The girl had stayed in his apartment while he was gone and smashed out the windows, gone without a trace or explanation before he had returned. Nick sighed as Wolford sped around another corner. “Come on Fort, she’s a bunny. How much could she possibly spend, or trouble could she get into with the limit on my card. I told her just to get something to eat and some clothes- He closed his mouth as the car jerked to a sudden stop and shrank in his seat as the wolf looked out the window and turned to him shaking his head. 

The music blaring from the street as Wolford tried to get into the block they lived on shot both their ears up. The wolf looked at the fox with disgusted curled lips and a flattened brow. “Does that answer your question, Nick? She’s up there in your apartment, has probably used the limit you had on your credit card and is throwing a rager for every homeless mammal in Zootopia, on your dime!” 

Nick jumped from the car and walked around the other vehicles until he was standing a couple of buildings down with Wolford keeping pace. The fox froze as dozens of rabbits rushed him. His ears folded back, and he cringed as Wolford grabbed for his tranq gun. The wolf froze as they stopped in front of Nick, all of them grinning ear to ear as an older bunny stepped from the crowd. “You must be Nick.” She asked as Nick ticked his eyes to Wolford nodding slowly. “Oh, you sweet, sweet boy!” Nick cringed as she wrapped around him and Wolford gave her a funny look when she pulled away grabbing both the fox’s cheeks. “I’m Bonnie.”

Nick rubbed his cheeks, smiling uncomfortably as he nodded. “Uhm…not to be rude but…” He curled his brow when he saw Gideon walking from the apartment building and wading through the bunnies.

Bonnie giggled as Gideon got to her side. The larger fox stepped to the side, revealing a small black lamb he grabbed by the paw. “Officer Wilde. This is my wife, Sharla.”

“Mr. Gray, I’m-

“Call me Gideon.” Nick almost smiled as he looked around. “I guess I’ll be seeing you again in court tomorrow.” Nick shook his head as Wolford sighed. “Anyways, it was nice seeing you again. Take care.” He turned with Nick watching Bonnie stick her fingers against both of her teeth and letting out a sharp whistle. All the rabbits started scrambling to their cars and Nick shook his head as they started emptying the street. Bonnie stood grinning as a buck in overalls and a farming hat walked beside her. The older doe giggled as Stu fell into Nick, almost smothering him with the strength of the arms he folded around the fox in a tight hug.

Nick groaned and Wolford tipped a brow. The buck backed away wiping his eyes as he broke into a fit of tears. Bonnie rolled her eyes as she laughed and pulled him towards their car. “WAIT!” Nick yelled and Bonnie turned smiling as Nick looked around shaking his head. “Who are you people?”

The older doe laughed as Stu got behind the wheel. “Why, we’re you’re family son.” She jumped in the little truck and Nick made a face that had her laughing harder as Stu pulled away wiping his eyes.

“She has purple eyes like, Carrots…” Nick ran up the stairwell with Wolford following him and they both rushed through the door, stopping at an unbelievable sight. The double doors that led to his apartment stood open as Mr. Crowley and the other residents stood in the hall, all of them staring slack jawed past the open doors. Nick froze as Wolford snapped his jaw shut and shook his head. 

“Holy mother of…” The wolf muttered as he ticked his eyes to Mr. Crowely who simply stared in disbelief as Nick took a few steps past the other tenants. Mrs. Beesly giggled as he passed her. The open doors that had stuck out as an eyesore on the entire floor were open to the main hall, every dingy panel of glass that had been covered with dark paint had been scraped clean to reveal stained glass that had been buried under years of layered paint. The wood that had been dull and lifeless smelled of something almost as heavy as the luster that now weighted down the grains and glowed in a heavy shine. Nick pushed one door completely open and his eyes went wide as the hinges that once alerted the entire floor someone had arrived, moved like a well-oiled machine.

“What the hell happened to this pl- 

The fox was silenced as the music thrummed through the hall, when a small bunny slid across the polished floors with a mop in one paw. His head tipped to the side just as all the others seemed to mirror the movement. The little doe was completely oblivious to the audience she held as they watched her through a freshly cleaned mirrored wall that was once so dirty it had long been forgotten, above a side of the room that contained a wall closet on one side and a furnace in the other. Nick’s lip curled up on one side and he shook his head at the earphones she had in her ears. The windows were open allowing the air to flow through the apartment and keeping everyone down wind, and she was oblivious to everything but the world she was lost in. The music playing on the stereo was for the bunnies that had already left, while she had chosen her own from the mp3 player attached to the gray sweats she was wearing. For the mostly canine residents, the scents of all the cleaning supplies and polishes the rabbits had used were almost as overwhelming as the sight of the bunny dancing around the floor. She shoved furniture out of the way with one foot and tossed the mop over, bouncing it back into her paws with a foot before she was gliding around again. A bright red polka dot hanker chief was tied around her head keeping her ears low as she sang along to the music blaring through her ears. “…but when you’re with me, I’ll make you believe. So get in the car, you can ride it, and you want to steer, but I’m shifting gears. I’ll take it from here, and it goes like this…..”

Nick was craning his head around a corner trying to see. He chuckled watching her shoulders bounce on alternating sides, listening to the lyrics she was singing, until he caught full sight of everything as his attention was pulled to the rest of the room. “Where did all this…everything- come from?”

The empty apartment was no longer an empty space as he looked around. Now there were chairs, an oversized couch, several tables, even a few pieces of art on the walls that had him wanting to go in further to look around as Wolford growled lowly. He turned to the ram who was still gawking and watched him shake his head. “The rabbits brought it, all of it. I couldn’t believe my eyes.”

“Couldn’t believe your eyes?” Wolford asked as he blinked a few times. The ram nodded absently as Nick shook his head. 

“It was like watching a…I don’t know…a-

“Ballet? That’s how rabbit families move things.” Mrs. Beesly smirked as Nick looked at her and watched Mr. Crowley nodding absently.

A few glances around and the larger of the two officers pulled him back and lowered his voice. “This is worse than Roxie! You have no idea where all that stuff came from, there is no way she could have gotten all that furniture, cleaning supplies and painted the apartment, fixed all this plus…” Wolford stuck his nose in the air and sniffed a few times as Nick looked between him and the door. “Cooked, this fast, even from all those rabbits!”

Nick turned to him scowling and looked back through the open doors shaking his head. “Look, I know I’m not the best judge of character and have a lousy track record here, but we can’t assume she-

“We can’t assume what, Nick? That you’re a cop and are now in possession of stolen goods that were delivered to your apartment? Or how about this? The crappiest apartment in our building is now the one that is going to get the most attention and looks like someone who makes three times more than our yearly salary lives there?!”

Nick groaned as he looked around the corner, catching the doe twirling again before she plopped the mop in a bucket and looked around. He slammed a paw over his eyes as the ram beside him turned and narrowed his eyes. When his large horns lowered and he shoved several of the tenants out of the way, Nick cringed as he peeked through his fingers. “Great Fort, I’m pretty sure he heard you.”

Wolford sighed as he looked back into the room. “Find out where it came from, Nick.”

“I am not going to ask her if she….” He looked around and smiled as he held out his paw. “Give me your phone.”

Wolford narrowed his eyes, but yanked it out of his shirt pocket and handed it to Nick listening. His ears perked as the fox talked to several people and he hung up grinning. “Duke put an alert asking about stolen goods. The credit card company says my card wasn’t used at all.” He turned to Mrs. Beesly almost bouncing. “You said rabbit, families…?”

Mrs. Beesly giggled as she nodded. “That was her family. I talked to quite a few of them. They each brought a little something for her, and you. They said they would be back once you two got everything settled so you could meet properly. Oh, and that other fox asked me to give you this. He said she made it for him a long time ago. He thought you might need it more than he did anymore because city rabbits weren’t like country rabbits.”

Nick took the little red notebook and made a funny face as he read the front. “The secret language of rabbits?” He opened it and Mrs. Beesly bit her lip as Wolford lifted a brow when a slow smile spread over Nick’s face and lifted his eyes. “Oh. My. Gods.” He chuckled as he flipped through several pages. Wolford let his jaw fall as Nick laughed. “I’ll talk to you guys later.” 

He started closing the door and Wolford pushed against it shaking his head. “Nick, I don’t think this-

“I have a show to attend, well to put on, for her. I’ll take it from here. I’ll behave I swear! Bye, Fort.” He smirked as he shut the door leaving Wolford shaking his head as Mrs. Beesly laughed….


	17. The Knights; Guard

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Searching for answers

Natalia Kills; Devils Don’t Fly

Jason Derulo; Want you to Want Me

Nick peeked around the corner grinning and his eyes went wide as Judy rushed to the other side of the room. She bounced off the wall and straight into the end of the couch, grabbing the arm and sliding with it as it hit the wall. He blinked as it upended, shaking his head as Judy jumped from the arm, and scrambled into a space he didn’t think anyone could fit into. Well, he couldn’t anyway. His jaw fell as dust and dirt flew out from the top of the wall covered with mirrors that hid the furnace and closet, when a box slid out and poked over the top. Nick grabbed it as it toppled over the edge and sat it down, half stunned when he looked in and found all the photos he thought had been thrown out when Roxie left. He sat down next to the box, barely ticking his eyes up as he heard Judy’s claws digging into the wood while she moved around the confined little space cleaning up all the dust. He cupped a paw over his mouth looking at the pictures of his mother and father getting married, baby pictures and school pictures of him missing teeth.

He looked up when he heard something else sliding along the wood and stood, grabbing another box. He sat it with the other one as dust kept falling from the space. Nick looked in it and shook his head as he pulled out a photo of his family together when he was younger. He left it sitting on the table and looked around the room as he ran his fingers over his mouth. A dark stained folding screen covered in cherry blossoms divided the room and he peeked around the corner, smiling at the sight of an old iron framed bed. Thick pillows and quilts covered the mattress, and several throws had been tossed over the chairs and couch to make all the mismatched furniture appear to look the same. He sat the little book Gideon had left on an odd little table after flipping through the pages again. Looking at areas where the handwriting was much more defined, he easily deciphered what Gideon had written in as his own explanation in italics and what Judy had left in print.  
\-----------

The secret Language of Rabbits

Bread = sex

Any kind of baked goods made with grain, including but not limited to bread, baguettes, biscuits, crackers, cookies, cake, etc., can be referring to sex, and the item used to describe it is also relevant in how it was created and what the sex is like.

Example- sweet cheese and crackers. Hard sex. Crackers are like bread, but are crispy, and sweet cheese is like a block of cheddar, also hard. (One of Judy’s favorite expressions in a bad situation.) Completely and totally hard fucked. I’m fucked, you’re fucked, we’re fucked, completely screwed, Holy fuck, etc….

Cookies and Milk- may not be talking about Oreo’s and two percent, neither is pretzels, salt, cheese, or cake with frosting sometimes.

The way they talk and act around others who talk about sex indicates bunnies find much language used in describing sex by others as crude, vulgar, or inappropriate/profane and they can be easily offended by words like fuck-dick-cock-pussy-etc. These words used in conversations referring to sex are heavily frowned on by rabbits, even though they have no problems talking to each other about any of it. Even the word horny does not sit well with most of them, they prefer to use phrases like yeast is rising or dough is rising, or getting the crops to spring up or corn to rise or popped corn to describe arousal.

Cheese whiz, cream cheese, any kind of soft spread or gravy, is referring to rabbit climax but it is most often referenced as butter. Butter milk, butter milk frosting, etc.

Baking refers to being in the act of sex or creation. Bucks call does yeast and does call bucks seeds. (Blueberries refer to what most other species refer to as blue balls)

Each species has a list of things rabbits have used to define body parts and functions, including climax.

Rabbits- bucks have husks, stalks, cobs.

Does have pans and ovens where bread is baked in loafs. 

Canines have apples and bananas.

Felines have thistles and cotton burs. Continued on last page…

Farming terms are also used in some circles of rabbits, depending on how large the family has become or how close knit the community is. There are too many different expressions in the list for all the things that can be described with a few words to anyone else. I wrote as many as I could think of for certain things, but you’ll just have to listen to rabbits talking and eventually it will all make sense…

(End Judy and Gideons notes)  
\-----

Nick smirked as he closed the book and cocked a brow at the bookmark stuck between pages. He opened the page and blinked as something his mother used to say stood out like it was in bold print. “It’s a poem?”

Blind Lies

Love is patient. Lie; love will not wait until you are ready. It will find you when you least expect it.

Love is kind. Lie; love can be cruel; it does not care if you are trying to avoid or hide from it or if you are seeking it. Love will run you over.

Love does not envy. Lie; love is a jealous mistress. Its counterpart is loneliness, and they are constantly at odds.

Love does not boast. Lie; as soon as it finds you, everyone knows it, often long before you do.

Love is not proud. Lie; it will brag and show off through those it touches.

Love is not rude. Lie; It does not care what you think about it, it will barge into everything.

Love is not self-seeking. Lie; it seeks only itself and fighting with its counterpart. 

Love is not angered easily. Lie, refer to a jealous mistress.

Love keeps no records of wrongs. Lie; People avoid it for a reason. It leaves a mark on anyone who has been burnt by it or is afflicted with it.

Love never fails. Lie; where do broken hearts come from?

Love is blind; Lie. Love is not blind. It can make those under its influence blind. Blind to all faults, blind to truth, blind to anything but the rose-colored glasses it causes people to see through. We choose to blind ourselves with love. Love is not blind….

“Sounds about right.” He chuckled as he shoved it under the mattress. He rushed into the bathroom and turned on the shower, fighting not to laugh his ass off at how much fun he was going to have using the lingo and learning how to talk like a rabbit.

Judy crawled from the space and jumped down onto the arm of the couch. Her nose wiggled as she looked around, but she shrugged as she brushed off the scent of the fox she had picked up as she tipped the couch over, letting it hit the floor before she slid it back into place again. She had been smelling him all day around every area her and her family had scrubbed, and with all the fur and dust that had been on top of the cabinets, she blew it off as she righted the couch and grabbed the broom. She danced around with the music in her ears again as she cleaned up all the dust and dirt that she’d thrown from the small space when the boxes caught her attention. She looked through them giggling at the pictures and her face fell as she looked back at the space shaking her head. There was no way Nick could have fit up there or pushed them back so far into the space. She ground her jaws together thinking about a black furred bunny she’d like to- “OOOOH!- I’d love to twist her tail a few times!”

Nick curled his arms around her and yanked her headphones from her ears and Judy jumped into the air. “EEP!”

“How about you twist mine instead?” He chuckled as she braced against the wall panting. Her eyes went wide as he stood there grinning, in nothing but wet fur and a white towel wrapped around his waist. She turned sharply as the skin under her fur turned red. While Nick was amused by what he saw as a blush, Judy was trying to push the image out of her head and calm the burning under her skin when he grabbed her paw and sat her on the couch. “What are you cooking?” He asked as he stuck his nose in the air and watched her avert her eyes each time he came into her line of sight.

“It’s vegetable soup. I put some chicken and pasta in it so you w-

She turned her head as Nick grabbed the ladle in the pot and licked the spoon.

“Hmm, very good. But, I kind of like my Carrots better if they are soft boiled in lots and lots of Butter.” Judy’s paws curled into fists and she clamped her eyes shut as Nick stepped back around the couch leaning over as she cringed. “Carrots? You alright?” she nodded as he stood back up. “Maybe garlic bread knots would be better for you though?” he turned trying not to laugh as she fought back a pathetic whine. “Are you going to eat with me? I mean you did cook this.” He turned hiding his smirk and tipped a brow when she shifted on the couch.

“Turn it off please. It should be done.” Nick turned the burner off peeking at her as she kept her eyes closed. “Don’t you think you should uhm...put some clothes on first?”

“Hmm,” Nick nodded as he sighed. “Maybe I should.” She sighed, opening her eyes in time to see him unwrapping the towel and jumped over the couch squeaking as he chuckled. “Well if you’re going to live here now, don’t you think you should get comfortable too?” He asked snickering as Judy curled her paws in front of her face, scrunching her eyes while she hid behind the couch. “Carrots? Come sit on the couch. We aren’t going to get past this problem by avoiding it. O.K?” He bit back another smile as she stood up and walked around the couch, swallowing as she sat down again. He reached for the stereo looking over the knobs a few times until he figured out how to work the controls and found a song he liked as Judy gawked.

“Ooooh, saints help me…” she muttered as he turned around bouncing his brow.

“They can’t, but I will.” He grinned evilly as he turned his back to her and grabbed the towel, throwing it open as he rubbed it back and forth on his rear and waved his tail back and forth in front of her. Judy whined as she covered her eyes. “Carrots?” He asked and she peeked through her fingers, gulping when he let the towel drop to the floor. “Finnick told you, you could control this, right?” She nodded as he turned and stepped closer. “Then we’re going to have to try.”

Judy closed her eyes and nodded, and he was smiling as he leaned over. She nearly jumped as his knee hit the couch and he pulled her paws away from her face shaking his head as he sat next to her. The doe ticked her eyes to his lips as he leaned closer and backed away. “I’ll hurt you!”

Nick huffed as he looked to the ceiling. “I don’t think you will. Every time I get too close you back away. You run. If you’re so afraid of hurting someone that you run away every time someone tries to get close, how do you know that’s what will happen?”

“I can’t remember anything that happens when I’m like that! I have no idea where I am or what I did, or how I got somewhere!”

“Carrots, you don’t know if that’s true, and I don’t believe it. Is that the only reason you keep running?” he leaned closer smiling as she closed her eyes and shook her head. “What else is it?”

Judy tipped her eyes the other way as he leaned closer. “You won’t like me when I…you’ll think I’m ugly.” 

Nick laughed but froze as her head dropped. “You’re serious? Who told you that? There is no way I would think y- He closed his jaw as her head snapped to him. 

“You’ve seen what happens already!”

“So, let’s find out on both counts? Then you’ll know, right?” He asked as she cringed.

“What if I scare you or run away?”

He smirked before he sighed. “Will you come back?”

“Yes.” 

“Then you’ll always know where I’ll be and where to find me so we can try again. We just keep trying, Right?” She bit her lip as he leaned closer and closed her eyes as he pulled her to his lap pressing his lips against hers. The light rumble in his chest had her spine tingling as his claws brushed over one of her shoulders. He leaned away humming and licking his lips as he opened his eyes. 

Judy jerked as he jumped and cupped both paws over her face. “I told you I was ugly!” 

Nick swallowed as he blew out a breath and scratched behind his ear. “Uhm, it’s not that bad.” 

Judy looked at him and broke into tears as he cringed. Her bottom jaw had jet out past the top one and her ears had shrunk as her claws grew. The purple eyes he had been swimming in had turned to lava, and her fur had thinned over brightly colored red skin. “I can tell when you lie! I can smell it! I can see it!” 

He grabbed her around the shoulders as she tried to move away. “O.K. Look, everybody has something about themselves that they don’t like. That doesn’t mean I don’t want you or don’t still…love you.” She looked up at him and he smiled as she blinked. “Am I lying?”

“No.”

“Then, let’s see where this goes. We still have a couple of hours before we’re supposed to go to the bar. I really want you to meet my friends. Will you?” Judy nodded and Nick closed his eyes as he pulled her closer again. She was lost in his scent and the way his tongue rolled over the roof of her mouth as Nick’s ears perked. He opened one eye and looked around as he pulled back with her tipping her nose into his neck. “Carrots…please stop doing that.”

“Doing what?” she asked as he jerked and wrapped his arms around her. Judy jumped as the tables started jostling up and down. They both clung to each other as the pictures on the walls started spinning. 

Nick’s eye twitched as he looked at the picture of himself with his parents, when his mother and father both came to life in the shot and started shaking their heads and their fingers at him. His younger image hid behind them and peeked around them as Nick’s jaw fell open. “OH, THAT IS JUST WRONG!” He jumped up flipping the picture over with his foot as he stood on the couch. Him and Judy both screamed as the couch lifted from the floor and levitated, before it started knocking one end at a time on the floor. They both screamed and grabbed each other trying not to fall off the couch as the tables galloped around, while the pictures on the walls spun fast enough to create a breeze like several fans were running in the room.

Wolford shook his head as he pounded on the wall. “NICK, KNOCK IT OFF! SOMEBODY’S GOING TO CALL CROWELY!”

Nick shivered as he looked at Judy and jumped back screaming as all four legs of the couch hit the floor. Her eyes had vanished under sagging skin as she melted and slid off the cushions. “I’M SORRY! MY GIRLFRIEND IS POSSESSSED!” Nick stood up looking around and stepped onto the back of the couch as a thick plume started pouring from under the couch. It looked as if someone had set off a dozen fog machines as he kept looking around the floor searching for any kind of movement.

Wolford growled as he rubbed his temples. “SOMETHING HAD TO POSSESS HER, OR SOMETHING OF YOURS IS POSSESSING HER WITH ALL THAT NOISE! KNOCK IT OFF!”

“AHHH!” Nick screamed as something lunged at him. He jumped, grabbing the light hanging from the ceiling and pulled his legs up as he dangled like a worm on a hook. “FORT!” He swung the other way shaking his head when something red jumped at him, and he grabbed his tail pulling it up as he screamed again. “DAMN!” The light he was hanging from swung back and forth as something jumped and caught it, but he didn’t hold on long enough to get a good look at the red slimy skin as he jumped with the swing and ran into the bathroom, slamming the door. He locked it and turned panting and shaking his head. “MY GIRLFIREND IS TRYING TO EAT ME!” 

Wolford had pressed an ear to the wall and took off running as Nick screamed. He rushed out of his apartment banging on Nick’s door. “NICK- OPEN THE DAMN DOOR!” He heard something crash and barely managed to peek through the crack, seeing the couch lodged between the partial partition wall against the door.

Nick caught his reflection in the mirror and blinked as he fell forward laughing. “Oh, my gods, my girlfriend is trying to eat me.” He mocked as he posed in the mirror. “Big bad fox cop and a little bunny is going to eat you?! Hahaha! A bunny eating a fox! She thinks I’m brave and I just ran from her!” He laughed and shivered as something curled around his ankle, looking down as a long pink tongue flicked up his leg. “What the- SHIIIIIIIIT!” Nick tried to grab the sink as he was yanked to the floor. “WAHOOOF!- OW! OOOH SHIIIIIT!” He screamed as he grabbed the pedestal sink and held on as he was yanked back and forth. He lost his grip and turned over as both his feet slammed into the door. “CARROTS! STOP!”

Everything in the apartment went still and his ears perked as he listened to Wolford screaming. “OPEN THE DAMN DOOR! NICK!” Nick unlocked the bathroom door and looked around, stepping out slowly as the fog seemed to dissipate. “NICK, GODS DAMN IT OPEN-

“FORT, WOULD YOU SHUT UP ALREADY?! I HAVE TO MOVE THE COUCH.” He looked around and sighed as he stuck both paws on his hips. The curtains hanging from the window fluttered into the room as he grabbed the end of the couch and let it fall back to the floor with a thump. Nick grabbed a pair of pants and threw on a shirt as he looked around.

Wolford shoved the door open and the couch with it as he barreled into the room holding his tranq gun. “Where is she?!” he watched Nick wrapping a tie around his collar as he looked around.

“We both got a little too excited, well, I got her too excited, so she left.” Nick scratched his chin nodding as he looked around. “I’m going to have to move a lot slower…...”

“Too excited?” Wolford asked as he looked around the room, shaking his head at the disaster. “You call this too excited? What exactly was it she was doing that had you screaming?!”

Nick rubbed his chin and he scrunched one cheek up. “Chasing me all over the place, now that I think about it…I’m really curious about exactly how long her tongue is.”

Wolford let his jaw drop as Nick looked off grinning and the wolf flicked his ear. Nick yelped and held his paws up laughing as Wolford growled. “NICK- WHAT THE FU-

Mrs. Beesly stuck her head in the door and cut him off as she looked around. Nick started picking things up and she wondered in grabbing things to help as Wolford growled. “I’ll meet you at the bar later, Fort.” 

Wolford looked around and sighed as he pursed his lips. “Did you ask her about talking to Savalde?”

Nick shook his head as he tossed a few pillows back on the couch. “No, I’ll ask her tonight. She’s coming to the bar to meet everyone anyway.” Nick cringed as Wolford left slamming the door. 

Mrs. Beesly straightened several pictures and sat at the little table, looking over the chairs to make sure they could support her before taking a seat. Nick glanced at her as he sat a table upright and cocked his head as she sat smiling. “Thought you said you weren’t going to try again.”

Nick chuckled as he shrugged. “If you don’t try, you can’t succeed.”

She giggled as she looked around the apartment. “Who was it that taught you that?”

Nick chewed his lip as he righted one of the boxes, grinning at the picture of a teenaged red fox and a small fennec standing next to him holding a baseball bat. “An old friend.”

Finnick watched Judy race around the corner from the building and put the van in gear shaking his head. He followed her until she had crawled up a drainpipe and watched her slip into a small space between buildings. He parked the van and walked into the shadows with his ears flipping back and forth. A shift in the shadows had him narrowing his eyes as he looked around. Several crashes rounded through the space when metal hit metal and he watched a red figure jump from one roof top to the next, narrowing his eyes. He made his way back through the alley to his van and watched her jump from one place to another, until he was certain of where she was going. The van was left in the parking lot in front of the old warehouse as he looked around.

Finnick closed the door to the factory and his nose tipped up as he grabbed the bat sitting next to the door with his nostrils flaring. He curled his fingers on each paw, gripping around the end tightly with the bat over his shoulder. His eyes ticked back and forth, and his ears strained as he walked up the stairs. Dark corners that held no light and shied from the sun moved as he curled his lip. “I told ya to get ahold of that shit.”

“Did you now? Why do you think I don’t already have a hold on it?” A voice hissed back as Finnick turned again. “Why is it you can smell me when no other ever has?”

Finnick growled as something in the shadows jumped. “I know my scent. What do you want?”

The voice hissed in laughter as Finnick scowled and ticked his eyes around. “Do you regret it? Saving that vixen? Such a noble act.”

Finnick turned to the sound of a silky voice and shook his head. “No.”

“You wouldn’t change it, even if you knew what you would be losing to save her?”

“I only regret that losing it cost me somethin I loved, and that ya were the closet one to me besides her at the time…. I take that back. The only thing I really regret, is not killin you when I had the chance.”

Finnick stood with a hard face as a crimson red creature shot from the shadows and stopped in front of him hissing. He held the bat a little tighter and dropped his head and ears, exposing his teeth as the creature stepped closer. “Kill me? You don’t want me anymore?”

“I never wanted ya. That was the problem wasn’t it? Ya just couldn’t leave well enough alone.”

The creature hissed again as Finnick pulled one side of his lips over his teeth. “Yet, you do not reveal me to anyone. You do not attempt to stop me.”

Finnick turned as the creature circled him, keeping his eyes on razor sharp claws and teeth as glowing eyes watched him. “Ya know as well as I do no one woulda believed me, and I know my limits.”

He stopped moving as it stepped closer and looked down at him as it stood. “I am still waiting for you to try, Finnick of the Zerda’s. Or would you rather we just keep tiptoeing around each other? I am sure I could find something to...amuse you. Keep you entertained.”

Finnick scowled as a smile split its’s lips, revealing fangs and drool as its tongue flicked at him. “Aint nothin ya had then that I wanted. There sure as shit aint nothin I want now. There aint nothin sweet about someone who takes somethin like that curse and uses it to reinforce what everyone else that had it tried to avoid. Foxes aint red cause the devil made em that way. Foxes are thought of as devils cause of mammals like you, doin what ya been doin.”

“Maybe I should just kill you then?”

Finnick smiled as he lowered his head. “Go on then, kill me and be done with it. All these years and ya still aint learned enough about that curse to know what will happen if ya kill the one it jumped from when it got into ya? You weren’t cursed. You were just in the wrong place at the right time.” Finnick extended a claw and scratched it across his chest grinning as he cut his skin open.

It hissed as it stepped away and clutched its shoulder, looking at the same open wound, and he laughed as he watched it slip back into the shadows. “We will meet again soon enough.”

Finnick watched a streak of red fly around the room and out the damaged roof before he shook his head and dropped the bat. He stepped closer to the edge and kicked the rope over the side as the mulch moved like a gopher was digging under the ground. “At least she aint smart enough to know you was here and couldn’t smell ya.” He watched Judy tunneling through the mulch and pulled his phone from his shirt pocket, scrolling through maps until he found the address he was looking for. “I need…an old hospital gown, a walker, and to look about thirty years older.” 

He looked off in thought before he smirked and shoved his phone back in his pocket, making his way to his van. A nagging thought kept pressing his mind as he drove to an old abandoned hospital and grabbed his phone again, grinding his teeth. After rummaging through the old building, he’d found more than enough to suit the image he needed to create. He stopped and cocked his head to one side as he nearly stepped over broken pipes that were leaking into a pool of dirty water. A glance around the room and he bent his knees, sticking his fingers in the water laced with thick decaying clay pipes. He rubbed his fingers together, grinning as the clay and water stained his tan fur a copper colored orange. “That’ll be a nice touch and make this easier for a bunny who has a problem with red foxes.”

The things he had gathered were dropped away from the clay and water before he stuck both paws in, grabbing thick fists full of wet red clay and rubbing it into all his fur. Once he had gotten himself looking as good as he thought it could get, he ticked his eyes to the side as that nagging thought flared again. Aint no way she didn’t notice Judy was there…. he picked up his phone listening to the ring tone. With no answer, he constructed a message and sent it on its way, before he was driving to a small town outside of Zootopia.

The land rolled in hills of grass swaying against the wind and Finnick fought not to gag at the scenery. Why anyone would want to live out in the country a million miles away from anything convenient made absolutely no sense to someone who lived in their van from day to day. He’d heard people talking about how peaceful it was to be in the country and how it was so easy to fall asleep listening to crickets and birds. The only thing he could imagine was losing his mind and trying to squash all the bugs just so he wouldn’t go stark raving mad in the absence of car horns, people screaming and traffic buzzing around. Half the streets out here in the boonies weren’t even marked or on the GPS system his phone had, the other half didn’t match the streets the maps said were supposed to be there. After hours on the road he’d pulled over and hunkered in for a nap hoping it might calm his nerves.

By the time he woke, he was grumbling about country critters and annoying bugs he’d never seen when he finally found something that matched what on his GPS. Half an hour later he found the nursing home he’d been looking for and left his van parked in a farmer’s field after paying him enough to ensure it wouldn’t be bothered until he returned. He waited an hour until the sun started falling and walked back to the nursing home. It didn’t take him long to get someone’s attention as he took on a hobble, adopted a hunched back and pulled his lips over his teeth when he waddled out in front of the fenced building wearing a hospital gown that revealed his backside as he let his tail stay limp. He looked up over the fence and started screaming. “GERTRUDE! GERTRUDE! WHERE’S MY DAMN SLIPPERS! I KNOW YA HID EM FROM ME AGAIN!”

A nurse in the building leaned over, looking out the window and her eyes went wide as she grabbed a charge nurse. It only took them about thirty seconds before they were out on the sidewalk talking to him and trying to figure out who he was, where he belonged and how he had gotten out. Finnick scowled as they asked who he was and kept screaming, “EH?” with every other word as he clutched the walker in one paw and held his other to his ear. He kept narrowing and squinting his eyes as the nurses tried to convince him to come back inside until they figured out who he was. Neither of them had a clue that when he started screaming their names, he had read them on their nameplates, believing he was half blind and deaf. He also had the appearance of a very old red fox who had shrank with age and was openly flirting with one of the nurses. She took advantage of the situation and giggled as she ‘convinced’ him to come back inside so she could feed him dinner herself.

He was chuckling as they got into the cafeteria where they had started serving trays to anyone on the floor. Once everyone was occupied, he grabbed his walker and started wheeling all over the room. “HOPPS! HOPPS WHERE YA AT?!” After scouring the room, and waiting until the nurses had cleaned everything and everyone up, he waited until the television in the sitting room was turned on as games and entertainment were set up for those who had enough thought left to participate in before he got closer. He spotted a pair of old graying ears trying to bounce up each time he screamed the name Hopps, and made his way her direction as she tried to leave the room, using a walker twice the size of the one he had. “Hopps where ya been?” When she turned looking around, he smiled as she overlooked him, failing to look down for the voice as he slid behind her.

The older does eyes popped open as her glasses hit the floor and she turned slowly, trying to figure out who had smacked her rear, finding Finnick looking up at her grinning maniacally. He grabbed a chunk of her butt, squeezing as she glared at him. “Hiya Toots! Ya got a nice little toot toot goin on back here. What say you and I go find an empty bed?” He bounced his brow as she curled her lip up and shook her head. 

“FOXES ARE RED CAUSE THEY’RE MADE BY THE DEVIL!” She screamed as she threw a paw up at him. “Pozzeski animus devoskin traileila!” 

Finnick was thrown to the wall as a bolt of energy shot him away from her and he sat up shaking his head as several nurses ran his direction. He laughed as he got to his feet and looked himself over, snickering at a scorched spot on the gown and the singed fur around a single little scar on his belly. When the same young nurse tried to help him up and took hold of his paw, he growled at her and she fell back stunned as his eyes glowed red. “I’m back Babes!” he laughed as the nurse stared, shaking her head. “This was fun and all, but I got things I need to take care of.” He tried to walk around her and was met with several other nurses who ushered him back to a station where they were looking him over. “Did ya not hear me? I got things I gotta go take care of!”

The charge nurse called a doctor who was on the other side of the facility and Finnick smacked a paw to his face as the building was locked down. “You know the rules. No one leaves after a fall until they are thoroughly checked by the doctor. Behave yourself and we will make sure you get some extra pudding tonight before bed. Find out his name and get me his charts.” She barked and sent the others searching as Finnick glared. “What’s your name, honey?”

“Finnick Zerda. I’m fifty years old. I don’t belong in here. I snuck in to see someone and I need to get back to-

“Yes, I know. None of you belong in here. I’m sure it’s not because your family doesn’t love you, they may not have had someone to watch you all the time. Its ok, we’ll love you just as much.”

Finnick sneered as he shook his head. He’d not thought much about getting out once he got in, and this place was like a maximum-security prison for seniors as he listened to all the conversations going on around him and noticed all the security and safety precautions. He shook his head and sighed. “Awww shit!”  
…………………………………………………………………………………………

Meanwhile back in Zootopia;

Wolford picked up his phone and furled his brows at a message that had been sent from a private number. Under any other circumstance he would have deleted it as spam to avoid the possibility of it contaminating his phone, but the only thing he could see of the message grabbed his attention. Watch your boy….

Wolford opened the message and narrowed his eyes. Watch your boy…. Chess calls for strategy. A queen has many pawns to protect her, a king only has one queen on the board to protect him when all others fall. The game must be played out in order for a victor to claim the prize. Only the prize can claim a victor. A true queen will protect her king and all others on the board. Even a knight can fall if he does not guard. A false queen will cause their fall to get to the king. Choose your moves and players wisely. Stripes do not change in any species. Red fox’s mate for life. Life-Mate. Checkmate. Check-Mate. He curled his brow shaking his head. “Stripes? Savage? Two queens…Winter’s and Hopps? Who the hell is this from?” He ran through his memories and shook his head thinking about the white vixen as she kept peeking around the corner while he was talking to Mr. Crowely on the phone at the station earlier. It was obvious she was the buck’s mate to a wolf who knew what to look for. He growled and paced his apartment thinking about everything he’d seen and heard. With all he knew, the only thing he was sure of was… “I’m not losing another partner.” 

Nick left his apartment and rolled his eyes as Wolford stood at the end of the hall waiting. He patted down his pants and turned grinning as Mrs. Beesly tossed him his keys. “I’ll lock it for you and close the windows.”

“Wait, there is something else I need. Did you see an orange carrot pen anywher- She leaned back into the room and grabbed it from a table next to the door, chuckling as she held it out to him. “Thanks.” 

The bear giggled as he took off down the stairs. Wolford growled as he chased after him and stopped at the bottom of the stairs gawking as Nick rushed out into the rain. “Nick, your car is still at the station! How do you even know she’s going to show up tonight?!” He looked up as Mrs. Beesly stepped behind him and shook his head. 

“I called a cab!” They watched Nick slide across the ground in the rain and grab a pole he was dancing around as a cab pulled up. “Why wouldn’t she show up? She’s my girl and I know she wants me!”

Wolford folded his arms over his chest as Nick shook the water out of his fur. “Just because you believe that doesn’t mean she- 

Nick looked at him as he grabbed the door to the cab and smirked. “Oh, I know she loves me, Fort. And I will do anything and everything it takes to make sure she knows I feel the same way about her. Just thinking about her gets me high!” Nick shot him a salute and turned laughing.

The wolf sighed as Nick rushed into the back of the cab and shook his head. “She’s got him. Check- Mate.”

Mrs. Beesly grabbed his shoulder. “Jake?” Wolford looked back after watching the cab take off and found her smiling. “Love can make people crazy sometimes. It can make someone look crazy or act crazy. It doesn’t mean they are crazy or that they will intentionally hurt someone else. He’s your partner, and your friend. Give her a chance. If he is, maybe you should too?” She patted his shoulder and turned back to the stairs chuckling. Wolford sighed as he looked down the street, watching the taillights of the cab fade into the rain……...


	18. Your Money and Your Mouth

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Prove Yourself

Flo Rida ft. Alessia Cara; Wild Ones

Taylor Swift ft Brendon Urie; Me!

Jack curled his lip as he stood up and looked around. “How many know about this one?”

Bogo shook his head as he glanced back at the officers who had been called to the scene. “Just the person who reported it and the officers who came to the scene. Higgins and Rhinowitz. Clawhauser, dispatch, and the EMT’s that are on the way. They all know not to talk about this specific case if they aren’t in a secured room at the station. I can’t keep the Med techs or morgue from talking.”

He watched Jack stand and look around as his nose wiggled. “Something is…” Jack looked back to the squad car Bogo had brought him in and shook his head. “This makes twenty-four?”

Bogo nodded as he scrunched his brow. “I think that’s right.” Bogo ticked his ears up as Jack looked around the ground in front of him. “Savalde?”

Jack looked up at Bogo as his eyes widened. “Something has changed... we need to get back to the station, now.”

He watched Jack rush back to the car after he pulled the cuffs and chains off he was wearing for show. Bogo gave orders to Higgins and Rhinowitz to process the scene after the detectives arrived. He slid into the seat as Jack dug through the files in the car. “What changed? The pattern is always the same. Identical wounds, similar places the bodies are found and always a different species.”

“How many were foxes?” Jack asked as he dug through the pictures. “The guy in the subway was a fox, this one is female and she’s a fox. There have been a few females, but how many were there in a row like this that were the same species, the same genus? Canines of some kind? We almost overlooked one of them because it didn’t fit the profiles until you started losing other officers. We both have people we have put right in the line of fire.” Bogo’s face went pale as he floored the gas “Where is Wilde?”

Bogo glanced at Jack as the buck rubbed his temples. “Probably the same place you told Winter’s to watch for him. The Pig Sty.”

“How long will-  
“At least an hour from here, if we don’t hit any traffic.” Bogo flipped the lights on as Jack pulled his phone from the glove box.

“Come on, come on, pick up the phone Skye.” He threw it into the dash as Bogo shook his head. “Ahh. It’s a farmers market!” Jack growled. “She won’t have it on her while she’s undercover.”

Bogo picked up the radio as Jack leaned his face into his paws. “Precinct One. All-points bulletin out on Skye Winter and Officer Nicholas Wilde. Do not alarm. Eyes only.”

“Understood Sir.” Albert answered and Bogo looked at the clock. Clawhauser had left the station with the shift change.

Bogo hung up and glanced at Jack. “They are in a place where there are usually a dozen officers at a time. I’m sure they will be fine.”

Jack looked back at him scowling. “I’m sure your officers will keep an eye on each other, but Winter’s is not just another agent I work with. She’s my wife.”

“Bad form.” Bogo growled as he hit the gas again. “No officer should work with their mate. Too many problems if the relationship doesn’t work out. “Whothought that was a good idea, Savalde?” He asked as Jack pulled the jumpsuit down and stripped in the car. 

The buck shook his head as he reached under the seat and grabbed a small bag he pulled a suit from. “Now isn’t the time to be subtle.” Bogo shook his head as Jack got dressed and curled his nose as the rabbit opened a little round tin that looked like it had once held shoe polish. He stuck his fingers in it and smeared something dark over his cheeks, coving his stripes and making him look like a black and gray splotched bunny.

Bogo sighed as Jack grabbed a small packet, ripping it open and pulling out some kind of wipe he used to clean his fingers off. “I don’t know why you think that stuff will work, Savalde. I’m sure if she can smell you like you say you both can pick up a scent, it won’t matter.”

“I’m not trying to hide anything from her. But I’m not going to be walking around with the stripes and have your other officers questioning it. I’ve never walked around with them not covered like this before. I was only doing it to establish an undercover identity. My parents knew it would cause problems. This is how everyone sees Agent Savalde, or Jack Savalde. Until this case you’d never seen me like this either.”

“How subtle do you think it’s going to be with me walking into the place with an agent who’s looking for Wilde and the bunny he’s with? Its going to be as plain as day why you are there looking for Winter’s when they all think shes a reporter. Its never a good idea to work with your mate. This is why.”

Jack scowled at him and curled his lip. “Bogo, I would think you would know that there are a few species that mate for life.” Bogo rolled his eyes as he swerved around several cars. “As in there will never be another, no cheating, no worrying about not working out problems. It’s a done deal. We work together like we do because we are life-mates. It’s not something you can walk away from for a fox or a rabbit. Wolves are the same way.”

Bogo shook his head as he turned onto the freeway. “And what happens if one of you dies? You don’t find someone else and- He raised a brow as he stopped at a turnpike and looked at Jack as the buck scowled. 

“A fox’s mate dies, you lose the fox too. She may be a rabbit, but I don’t know how far she is into the relationship with him to know if the part of her that’s a fox will be enough.”

Bogo sucked in a breath as he growled. “And Wilde has already taken this rabbit as his mate? So, if Hopps is the one we’re looking for and worse comes to worse, Wilde will…”

“Die? Yeah, Chief. That’s how it works.”

“Damn it all to hell if this isn’t a Fink Fuck!” He grabbed the radio and started screaming as Albert grabbed the mic and turned the volume down. “Tell all officers do not fire on any suspects around Wilde and Winter’s unless it’s life or limb! Suspects are to be taken alive if action is needed! I want two officers posted outside the Pig Sty.” 

Bogo clenched his jaw as Albert responded. “Longfang and Swinton are the only officers available, Sir. I’ll send the dispatch.”

Bogo hung up the mic as Albert got on the horn. A light coated wolf picked up the receiver after handing the pig next to him the coffee he’d taken from the drive through. “Dispatch, Unit 37 responding.” 

“Longfang and Swinton, you have orders to keep an eye on Officer Wilde and an undercover agent for the Z.B.I. A white vixen named Winter. Both should be at the Pig Sty. Do not alarm or notify either party they are being watched. Suspects may be in the area and it’s tranq guns only. Lethal force is only to be used under the threat of life.”

The wolf acknowledged and hung up growling as he looked at the pig in the seat next to him. “Like hell we will just sit around if one of our own is in trouble. He didn’t say who the suspects we should be watching for are. I guess we’ll just watch anyone around them we aren’t familiar with.” The pig smirked and nodded as Longfang left the fast food drive in and sped to the bar where most of the officers in Precinct One stopped to unwind after a shift or meet their friends…...

Wolford looked around sighing as Fangmeyer leaned forward. “What’s on your mind, Wolford?”

The wolf shook his head as Ginger came through the door and hung her coat. “Why are we sitting in the booth and not our table?”

Fangmeyer looked at the door and shrugged. “My brother is on his way. He came in from out of town and wants to stop by and say hello. That explains why I’m watching the door, why are you?” 

“Nick isn’t here yet and he left before I did. He said he was coming here and that girl he’s been messing around with is supposed to meet him here too.”

The tiger tipped her ears up smiling as Wolford watched the door. “You’ve met her, it looks like you don’t like her very much.” Wolford looked back to her growling as she giggled. “Oh, definitely not. Why don’t you put her to the test? It’s his game, so he can’t say anything about it if someone does it to him.”

Wolford’s ears shot up and he started grinning as Fangmeyer leaned back and threw her arms over the bench seat. “Are Grizzoli and Gerald on their way?”

Fangmeyer nodded as Snarlov came back from the bathroom. They all looked to the door as it opened and watched Wooler shake himself trying to get the rain out of his wool. The ram walked to the table and their ears tipped towards him. “Is Nick supposed to come around today?” The door opened again, and Nick came in tossing his jacket over the hooks next to the door.

“Answer your question?” Wolford asked as Wooler chuckled. 

Nick came to the table and shivered as he sat down. “It’s raining Fangs and Forts out there.” 

Wooler hissed as he shook his head and grabbed a chair. Ginger came to the table sitting down drinks as the ram took a seat. “Did Dawn tell you about the mammal inclusion program?”

Nick grabbed the bottle in front of him tipping it back and nodded. “I already know about it. She knows how to get in touch with me.”

“She might come in tonight. Now that the fair is shut down, she’s not having to stay late to help Lionheart.”

Ginger tucked the tray under her arm as she leaned into one hip. “I thought they were talking about closing that out.”

Wooler nodded. “They will if no one applies soon. She was impressed with your bunny, told Lionheart all about her and what happened at the concert. She even found some clips of you two while you were there that night and showed them to him.”

“A bunny wants to be a cop?” Ginger asked as Nick chuckled and shrugged. 

Fangmeyer stood up and motioned to the door as another tiger came in. “You guys remember my brother Charlie.” They all said hello as he sat in the booth next to Fangmeyer. “He’ll only be here tonight; he’s being shipped out again in the morning.”

Snarlov raised his beer. “To all our soldiers over-seas.” 

They lifted their beers and nodded as the tiger looked around and shook his head. Grizzoli and Gerald came in hanging their coats before they found their way to the booth and got comfortable as Ginger took orders for drinks again. She left them as Charlie frowned. “Is there something wrong with this booth?” They all watched him sinking into the seat making an odd face. “This seat is trying to eat me alive.”

Wolford and Nick both blinked as Fangmeyer shoved him out of the booth and scooted into spot. “Move, I should be there!” She stuck her tongue on her upper lip as she wiggled in the seat and scowled. “It’s not working, you can have it back.” Charlie rolled over frowning at her as everyone else at the table laughed. Gerald curled his brow as Fangmeyer slid closer to him in the booth. She watched him looking around in thought and sighed. “Just ask Gerald. Nobody here is shy.”

The younger cheetah chewed his lip and looked at Grizzoli. The bear shrugged. “Uhm, you go both ways?” Fangmeyer nodded. “Why not just pick one?”

Fangmeyer huffed as Charlie shoved her and giggled as he slid back into the booth. “You ever thought about being with a guy?” Gerald shook his head with a sour face. “What is it exactly you like so much about females?”

Everyone at the table chuckled as Gerald blushed and shrugged. “They’re females?”

Grizzoli chuckled and shook his head. “Here we go.”

“You’re what? Early twenties?” she asked, and Gerald nodded. “What is there not to like about a female when you have one in bed with you? There’s nothing wrong with guys either but, you get a girl going, it’s just not the same, you know? A guy can make just as much noise but, ooh, you get a girl purring and singing in the thrills of it, and you’ll never get enough of hearing it.” 

Gerald looked around as they snickered. “I guess a guy can’t do that for you?”

Fangmeyer scoffed as she grabbed her beer and shook her head. “Not very often.” When Gerald shook his head, she laughed as she leaned closer to him. “Most of you don’t have enough experience with a girl who explains things in that area. You’re either acting like your trying to flip a light switch off and on, roll a damn stress ball around your fingers or hit the off and on button like it’s a damn video game. Get it?” She asked and glanced at Nick as he bounced in silent laughter. 

Wolford shook his head and Wooler cupped a paw over his muzzle as Delgato came to the table. “Speaking of girls, no luck with the vixen?” Fangmeyer asked.

Delgato shrugged as he looked back to the bar and the arctic vixen talking to the barmaid. “She’s more interested in talking about the mammal inclusion program and how it got started. She’s been talking to everyone in here off and on for about an hour. She’s the one covering the Demon case. She’s working with the mayor’s office and trying to find another story for the press that isn’t so…dark.”

Wolford glanced at Nick and smirked. “Thought you said your girl was coming to meet everyone, where is your girl, Nick?” 

“She’ll be here, Fort.” 

“Uh hu.” Wolford nodded as he grabbed the mug in front of him and dumped the bottle in it. “She’s going to walk here in the rain?”

“She doesn’t have a car?” Grizzoli asked and Wolford scoffed.

“She doesn’t even know how to drive.” Wolford snickered.

Nick scowled at him and sighed. “No, but she’s driving something isn’t she, Fort?”

“You mean like how she drove your apartment into the ground earlier?” Every ear around the table perked as Nick curled one side of his lip up.

“I was talking about how she’s driving you crazy.”

Wolford looked off and nodded as he grabbed his mug. “She might be driving you right into the ground too if what she did earlier is any indication of how things are going to be.”

“What did she do earlier?” Gerald asked. The cheetah cringed as they all glared at him.

Nick shook his head as he stuck one arm on the table. “Nothing.”

“Like hell.” Wolford growled as he turned in his chair. “She tore the whole apartment apart!”

Nick smirked as he looked around and shrugged. “It’s her stuff, and she tried to warn me about what happens when she’s….eh.” He chuckled as he picked up his beer and chugged part of it as they all looked at him blinking.

“Her stuff?” Delgato asked as he stood outside the booth, leaning over the back of the seat.

Nick sat his bottle back down. “Yeah. The apartment is completely furnished. She even found all the pictures of my family I thought Roxie threw out.”

“How the hell did she do that?” Fangmeyer asked as Grizzoli cocked his head.

“They were all up above the cabinets, shoved back against the wall. None of us would ever have been able to see them or even get to them for that matter. She squeezed back there while she was cleaning and shoved them out.”

Fangmeyer hissed as she shook her head. “Mmm mmm. That bunny you were with was one cold hearted little mammal.” 

Nick shrugged as Wolford sighed. “No telling that this one’s any different, after what the place looked like earlier.”

“It’s her stuff, if she wants to tear it up why would I complain about it?”

“None of it was yours?” Grizzoli asked as he looked between them.

Nick shrugged as Ginger came back to the table and started sliding bottles and glasses to everyone. “Her family brought it all, cleaned the apartment, even scraped all the paint off the doors and the mirrors covering the cabinets. Scrubbed the walls, did something to the woodwork. Made the whole apartment look like it had been renovated. It looks really nice.”

“This is the same bunny you met a few days ago?” Grizzoli asked as he started smiling.

“Yeah.” Nick answered as his ears perked.

“That’s part of the problem.” Wolford growled as Ginger started filling the tray.

The bear laughed as he leaned back and shook his head. “You met her family already, and they brought things to your apartment?” Nick nodded as he looked at the bear with furled brows. “Have you tagged her yet?” Nick scrunched his brow shaking his head. “You have to bite one of her ears hard enough to leave a hole to seal the deal with a bunny. Right up here.” He motioned his ears close to his head as Nick frowned.

“Bite her ear? I wouldn’t do that! That would hurt!”

Wolford shook his head. “Probably not as much as the damage she’s going to do, this one even has her ex involved.”

“So, what’s the big deal? A lot of people stay friends with their exes.” Fangmeyer asked as she looked at Wolford.

Wolford rolled his eyes. “The ex who clocked him at the station was with all the bunnies.”

“And his wife.” Nick growled as Wolford sighed. “There is nothing wrong with my bunny, Fort.”

Wolford growled as he lifted his beer over Nick’s head. “You know you’re all wet, right?” Nick grabbed his paw and turned in his chair. The wolf’s eyes went wide as the mug he was holding tipped. Ginger gasped and everyone at the table leaned back cringing as she was drenched. The little red panda closed her eyes as Nick slipped out of the chair and looked at her wide eyed as her brow dropped.

“If one more person gives me a beer bath, I’m never serving any of you again.” 

April rushed from behind the bar with a few towels and a mop as Delgato leaned over growling. “Hey Ginger, if you come over here, I can give you a tongue bath that will have you dry in a matter of minutes. You’d be getting me drunk with more than the alcohol you serve too.”

Ginger was still flat faced as April handed her a towel. She ticked her eyes between Wolford and Nick who still stood there gaping. The barmaid ran the mop along the floor as Wolford and Nick both snatched a towel. Wolford shoved Nick’s chair out of the way, along with Nick as he started apologizing. “Ginger. I wasn’t really going to spill it! I was just teasing and he-

Ginger laughed and Wolford froze. His eyes went a little wider and his cheeks flushed as he looked at where his paws were after she scrunched her nose and bounced her brows. “If you wanted to feel me up, you could have just asked.” The tension in the little group fled with laughter as Wolford’s ears pinned to his head. Ginger giggled as he rolled his eyes and retook his seat sneering at Nick. 

The fox chuckled and Fangmeyer tipped forward as he blinked a few times and turned to the door. The tiger looked at her brother as he leaned over trying to look around Wolford. Nick sped out the door and they all watched his back through the glass.

“What’s he doing?” Ginger asked as she wiped her blouse off. 

Grizzoli shrugged as Fangmeyer sat up in her seat looking out the door. “He’s talking to someone. How the heck did he know someone was out there?”

The bear tilted his head as Gerald looked between all of them. Nick came back through the door with a bunny and the whole bar went quiet. The gray doe in front of him turned on her heel and nearly ran into his chest as he shook his head. The place was rarely occupied by more than a dozen officers, but with the shift changes and high schedules being dropped because the fair had been closed, there were close to two dozen officers with perked interest, watching Nick whispering to the bunny in front of him. Her ears dropped to her back as he pulled her coat over her shoulders and stuck it on a hook with the others. He still had the towel April had given him to help with Ginger and was drying her ears off as she kept her back to everyone.

Fangmeyer sat up and stuck her elbow on the table. “Look at her tail.” They all shook their heads until she waved a paw in front of them. “No, I mean the color of it. Anybody ever seen a tail shaded like that on a bunny? Or ears like that? You can barely see it but there’s a shade of really dark fur at the base of her tail just like her ears.”

Wolford glanced at Ginger as she took a backwards step away from the table. She turned and left in a hurry, sending Wolford looking back at Nick.

Nick leaned over Judy. “After what you did at the Naturalist club, this makes you nervous?” He smirked as he stood up and found her looking at him with her jaw half open. She ticked her eyes to the side and Nick raised both brows as she looked back at the door.

“That...was different. I was trying to get everyone to stop fighting! These are your people and you said there wouldn’t be very many of them here.”

“You’re nervous because they are ‘my people’?” He chuckled as her shoulders cinched up. “Well I guess I’ll have to get you comfortable before I introduce you then, won’t I?” 

Nick grabbed her around the waist and shuffled his feet next to hers, pushing her back until they had walked to a small area where there were no tables. Fangmeyer shook her head. “Would you look at him go?”

The juke box had been filled with quarters and a list of songs by everyone who came in as Judy looked up at him in shock. Her mouth hung open slightly as he swayed back and forth and gripped her paws, turning her own arms across her chest as her back rested against his. The fox was whispering as she kept her eyes on his face in a dazed look that had everyone looking at Fangmeyer as she cooed. “Awww. What?” she asked as they all looked at her shaking their heads. “You don’t know what that look means?”

“What look?” Gerald asked as Fangmeyer shook her head. 

“That look, just watch.” She pointed back to the fox and bunny as Wolford sighed. “See what he’s doing? The way he’s keeping his nose right at her neck, the way she keeps watching his mouth when he talks? He’s not really dancing, he’s just moving back and forth, but she’ll remember it as something else.” 

Charlie snickered as he shook his head. “All he’s doing is taking her attention off the fact that everyone in here is watching them.”

Fangmeyer smiled as she grabbed her bottle. “That’s not all he’s doing.” Her brother shrugged and shifted his attention as Judy laughed. Nick had spun her arms again and pulled one of her paws to his neck. Whatever he was whispering had her giggling as he ticked his eyes back to the table each time she looked away from him. Judy had stood on her toes as Nick leaned lower and Fangmeyer shook her head watching the fox snickering when she grabbed his tie and pulled him closer. The light over the small area made them each look like they were bathed in a yellow glow as they moved with each other. Their lips nearly touched each other in an open tease as they spoke in secret smiles. “That, what they are both doing right now, is the kind of art no one even knows they are creating.” She looked at Wolford as he grabbed his glass and turned around. “You sure you want to do this?”

Wolford tipped his ears back and drank what was left in his glass before sitting it back on the table and nodding. He looked around for Ginger and at his empty glass as April whizzed around several other tables. “I’ll be back.” He stood up and stalled for a second when he caught the red panda peeking out from behind a curtain that kept the kitchen separated from the bar. She turned wiping her face off and he looked back watching Nick and Judy still barely dancing as he shook it off and grabbed his glass heading to the back of the bar. He stepped around the curtain and gasped as he turned his back. “Ginger! I didn’t mean to-” 

She laughed as she shook her head and rang her shirt out under the faucet again. “It’s ok, Jake.” 

Wolford scratched his neck nervously as he sat the glass on the counter. “I should have just waited until you came back. I just needed some-

“Air?” she asked, and he looked down as her paw landed on his arm. His eyes moved to the ceiling seeing all her fur and she laughed again. “Jake?”

He looked at her face and kept ticking his eyes to the ceiling trying to get his ears to cool off as she grabbed both his arms. Wolford blinked as she sucked in a breath and his eyes jarred open as she pulled him to her. “She’s very pretty isn’t she?”

Wolford scrunched his brow as Ginger got close enough to his face that he could feel her breath on his lips. “Do you think she’s prettier than I am?” The wolf watched her smiling and darted forward catching her lips before they rolled across the counters. Several ears in the bar area shot up as crashing pots and pans hit the floor. Nick held a finger up as they looked to the back of the bar. April was headed the same direction to check on things as the fox waved her off. He peeked around the corner and turned biting his lip after seeing Ginger sitting on the counter with Wolford standing between her legs. Both of them too lost in playing tonsil hockey to notice the noise they had made or that someone had looked in on them.

“Officer Wilde!?”

Nick turned to the vixen on the other side of the bar and smiled. “What can I do for you, Darlin?”

Skye giggled as he stayed in front of the curtain. “I was wondering if you could tell me about the bunny who wants to be a cop? If she applies, she could save the mammal inclusion program. It would be a great story for the mayor’s office and would be happier than the other things I’m covering right now.”

Nick smirked as she looked at Judy, who was still watching curiously. He raised his voice and motioned to Judy with a finger to come closer. “I’m sure that kind of exposure would be better news than something indecent.” Skye looked at him funny as Judy walked to the bar.

“Nick?” Judy asked after hopping onto a seat. Nick smiled as he pointed to Skye. The vixen introduced herself and handed Judy a yellow sheet of paper, her nose wiggled as she looked it over and started hopping excitedly as Nick chuckled. “Is this real?” Judy asked the vixen as her nose wiggled.

Skye smiled and stuck a paw on her hip. “It’s very real. Fill it out and I’ll make sure the mayor gets it personally, from the person he trusts the most.”

Judy looked at Nick chewing her lip. “What about the…thing?”

Nick smirked and handed her the carrot pen. “If nothing else, you’d make a cute meter maid. Maybe a supervisor someday.”

Judy scowled and snatched the pen. “You’re going to eat those words!” The fox chuckled as she filled out the papers and handed them to Skye. The vixen giggled as she looked everything over.

“A meter maid?” Wolford asked as he came out from the kitchen area. 

Nick looked him over and smirked. “It’s not as good as the bar maid you’ve become. When did you start handling things for Spicy?” He chuckled as Wolford looked back to the curtain. 

Wolford curled his lip and nodded in a smart-ass face. “Actually, we were discussing a proposal.” Nick’s eyes went wide as Wolford smiled. He walked out from behind the bar and Nick followed him half stunned as he held his paws up. Skye and Judy watched him as he grabbed everyone’s attention. “BRIGADE!” Nick looked to Judy and shook his head. “WE HAVE A WILD-FIRE TO CONTAIN!”

“NO! NO NO!” Nick screamed as he was rushed by other laughing officers. “DAMN IT, FORT! NOT HER!”

Wolford stuck his paws behind his back and stood at attention. Judy was looking around curiously as the wolf snickered. “Your game, Wilde. Your Rules.”

“That’s the problem, Fort. It is a game, one I….” Nick scowled as Judy watched another wolf clutching one of his arms and a pig grabbing the other. “Why are you two even in here? You’re on duty!”

Longfang chuckled as Swinton looked around. “We’re not drinking. Nothing against us being in here while we’re on duty. Besides, there’s no way we’d miss this.”

“Miss what?” Judy asked as she looked around. 

Wolford leaned over grinning. “Seeing if you’re good enough to stand up to us or be with one of ours.” Nick scowled as Judy looked around at the others watching curiously.

“If I’m good enough to be one of you? Or with him?” Wolford shrugged as he kept smiling. “This is one of his things?” She pointed to Nick who was still frowning as Wolford nodded. “How does it work?”

Fangmeyer pushed through the little crowd and intertwined her fingers as she shoved them in front of her and cracked all her knuckles. Judy lifted her brows as the tiger growled. “Battle of wits. If you want to be with one of our officers, we want to know if you can hold your own. You can choose who it is you’re up against if you play. The rules are pretty simple, every insult against your opponent and they have to drink a shot. The officers here will decide who wins by how well you each do. At the end, the winner gets to ask one thing of the loser that has to be followed. You get to choose the drink.”

“Carrots,” Nick looked at Wolford nervously and shook his head as he pulled her closer and lowered his voice. “This isn’t about you, it’s about me and Roxie. He doesn’t like you and you don’t know what he will ask you to do if you lose. The rules are, you have to give the winner what they ask for if you play. You don’t have to-

“I’ll play. I want him.” She pointed to Wolford and his face fell as Judy smirked. Nick sighed as she turned back to him smiling. “I got this, Nick. Don’t worry. Trust me?” 

Fangmeyer stood and clapped her paws together. “IT’S A HO-DOWN THROWDOWN!”

“A what?” Judy asked as she looked at the tiger.

Fangmeyer smirked as Nick stood their grinning. “Oh, we’re all his bitches according to Wolford. If you’re fighting for him, you might as well get used to it.” She threw a thumb at Nick and the fox cringed.

“Carrots, you don’t have to prove anything to me, and this isn’t really a game when he could ask you to go away.” 

“Trust me?” Judy asked and Nick leaned into her paw and closed his eyes as he nodded. 

She turned back to Wolford with a flat face. “You don’t think I’m good enough for him, do you?” She smiled as Wolford stood taller and lifted a brow as he looked her over. 

“He got a taste for your kind because of one rabbit. No one really knows much about you and your…differences, or how that would make you either. I have no reason to believe you are any different than her.”

The doe folded her arms over her chest and scrunched her nose. “Do you know how to make carrot chasers?” April shook her head as Judy grinned. “Grain alcohol, one tenth cherry sprits, two tenths carrot caramel.”

“We don’t have grain alcohol.”

Judy nodded and smiled as Wolford raised both brows. “Mix the two strongest alcohols you have before you add the rest. It won’t come close, but it’ll work.” 

April grabbed a couple of bottles from behind the bar and mixed them into a larger one with the other ingredients as everyone in the bar shook their heads. She came back to the table and poured each shot into several glasses in front of Judy and Wolford. “Every insult at each round is a drink.” She stood up, taking a few steps from the table.

Judy dropped her head and ears grinning. “You should know that corn was one of my family’s main crops and is used to make grain alcohol if it’s not sold at market.”

“Oof,” Fangmeyer leaned to her brother shaking her head. “She’s got some brass, doesn’t she?” Nick was in a chair with Longfang and Swinton at each side and tipped his head as he started grinning. Fangmeyer looked over as someone grabbed her shoulder and moved as Clawhauser stepped next to her.

“What’s going on?” Clawhauser asked looking around.

“Well, if it isn’t the cat with all the right spots!” She giggled as he cleared his throat. “Firing Brigade. Wolford against Hopps. Wildfire challenge.”

Clawhauser shook his head and sighed. “Oh, that little bunny is going to get eaten alive.”

“BETS!” Someone screamed as they looked around. 

“Where’s Ginger?” Fangmeyer asked and shrugged. “Clawhauser can handle it!” Judy watched all the officers making bets on how many insults it would take until someone was drunk and who would win as she smiled wider. 

The doe reached into her shirt and pulled out some cash. “Can we bet if we are playing?” Clawhauser looked at Fangmeyer and nodded, blinking as she took it and handed it to Benji. “I won’t get drunk, and I’ll win. Bet me against everyone who thinks I’ll lose.”

Clawhauser shook his head as Wolford stepped around him. “Match that against her for me.”

“Damn.” Fangmeyer said as Wolford rolled his eyes. 

Wolford ticked his eyes around the waiting faces and nodded as he waved a paw towards the chairs. “After you, April!”

The little doe raced to the table and in front of each of them as Nick looked at Longfang and Swinton scowling. Judy jumped on a chair as April picked up a booster section for a smaller mammal. Judy waved her off and April shrugged as Judy stood in the chair watching Wolford take a seat. “You might need that.” Wolford pointed at the booster and Judy shot him a malicious smile as she shook her head. 

The doe folded her arms over her chest as she stood in the chair. “If all we’re doing is talking trash and drinking, I don’t need it.”

Wolford leaned forward grinning as Judy lifted a brow. “Considering the trash is talking, I still think you might need it.”

“OOOH!” The little group hissed as Nick grit his teeth, shaking his head at Wolford. 

Judy grabbed a shot, throwing it back before she smiled wider. “What’s your name?”

“Jake.” Wolford answered grinning.

“You’re calling me trash when your shirt looks like that? I thought officer had a little more pride in their appearances.” Judy shook her head and smiled as Nick hissed. Wolford looked over his shirt frowning as she shrugged. “I have two hundred and seventy-five brothers and sisters. When we got mad and started fighting Mom would sit us down and let us throw as many insults at each other as it took to get it out of our systems. We weren’t allowed to hit each other, and we all knew if we did, we’d be pulling weeds by paw from the fields for hours for it. You should get some breath mints, because there is no way you’re taking out the trash if all you have is the shit falling from your mouth that makes your breath stink.”

“OOOOH!” Another chorus of voices sang as Nick covered his mouth and laughed. 

Grizzoli shook his head as Fangmeyer nudged him. “I thought you said bunnies didn’t talk like that.”

The bear stood gaping as the tiger lifted a brow. “They don’t.”

April poured another round and Wolford threw them back frowning at her. “Two hundred and seventy-five brothers and sisters? You rabbit’s get busy. I wonder what it would take to satisfy someone in that area when their whole species is known for getting around. Must be a deep well there. I bet you have someone knocking the bottom out of your ass stashed somewhere.” Nick curled his lip looking at Wolford until Judy leaned forward and grabbed her drink grinning as she nodded and threw it back.

“I’m sure there are some rabbits that have deep wells. I’m not one of them, but at least this well has a bottom. No one could do that for you with that bottomless pit you have.”

“DAAAAMN.” Fangmeyer laughed as Nick leaned over in his chair laughing. Grizzoli shook his head in shock as Wooler and Delgato stood there with open mouths.

Wolford scowled as he sat his glass down and watched April refilling them. “I bet it would take every guy in here to shut your mouth.” He looked off with an evil smile and shook his head. “Probably not, with a mouth like that, it still wouldn’t be enough to ram something down your throat.”

Everyone in the bar watched in silent awe as Wolford looked at her and rolled his shoulders. Judy sat flat faced as Nick shook his head frowning. “Are you asking?” Judy asked as she smirked. Nick looked at her shaking his head as Wolford smiled. “I’m pretty sure something as big as tic tac wouldn’t be enough to shut anyone up. It sounds like you need to get rammed good, maybe it would change this piss poor attitude you have.”

Nick sat up and looked around as the officers watching shook their heads with wide eyes. “WOOLER! FORT NEEDS A RAMMER! YOUR UP!”

The ram shook his head with a frown. “No, I’m really not up for that at all.”

“OOOOH!” the bar rounded again as Judy looked at Wolford and cracked her neck.

Nick fell out of his chair laughing as Wolford looked at him scowling. He threw back the shot and looked at Judy as she giggled. “You talk about getting rammed like you’re familiar with it. How many guys have you been with, and how many are you messing around with right now? I bet you can’t even count them all. Did you dip your ears in some kind of dye to get them to look like that? Trying to catch someone’s eye so you can add another notch to your belt? You like foxes, why mess with him when you’ve already had everybody else? I’m sure any body would do. He deserves better than someone’s sloppy seconds.”

Nick sat back in his chair and sighed as Grizzoli looked at Snarlov and cringed. “Damn he’s really out for her, isn’t he?”

Snarlov snickered as he pointed to Wolford. “I don’t think it matters. Wolford doesn’t drink that kind of stuff and he’s already swaying. She must have a tolerance for it because he’s five times bigger than her and she isn’t looking like she’s hurting for it. Or the insults.”

Judy threw back her shot, grinning as April refilled their glasses. She ticked her head to the side as Wolford leaned over and shook his head smiling. “Beat that.”

She nodded and smiled. “Dipped my ears in dye….and any body will do? Sloppy seconds?” Judy smirked as she watched April filling the shot glasses in front of her. For every insult on each turn they had, they had both thrown one or more back, and she took the several this round before she licked her lips and lifted her head again. “If I’m sleeping with everyone, does that mean you’re nobody? You sure as hell haven’t dipped into my well and never will. You don’t know anything about me. But I can tell you exactly who you’ve been with. Think I should tell the whole bar?” Wolford cringed and looked at Nick, watching the fox nodding as he smirked. “I think you’re just jealous because I’m a better bitch for him than you are.” 

“OOOOOH! OVER! OVER!” The bar rounded before they all laughed.

“It’s over! She burnt it to the ground! The Ho is down!” Fangmeyer shot as she shook her head.

Wolford started smiling as Judy grinned and threw back all the shots in front of her as if to prove as point. He nodded as he took the shots for the insults and looked at the glasses. “What do you want?” 

Nick sat up blinking as Wolford looked at him and shrugged as he nodded. Judy jumped on the table and Wolford looked up at her before she bent over and whispered in his ear. His face fell flat as he looked at Nick and back to her as she stood in front of him grinning. “Remember that, it’s all I want.” He chuckled as he bowed his head and conceded. 

Nick looked at Longfang and Swinton shaking their heads before he walked to the table and smirked as Judy jumped to the floor. “Running with the wolves now, aren’t you?”

Judy giggled as he wrapped his arms around her. “If it shuts this down, yes, yes I am.” 

Nick chuckled as he looked around at everyone laughing, while Clawhauser started figuring out what went to who. The fox leaned over and wrapped his arms around her as Wolford chuckled. “I knew you were a wild one. I should make that official.” Judy grabbed the back of his shirt and slammed her eyes shut as he bit her ear. The doe grabbed his throat in her teeth, and he dropped to a knee in a low rumble as Grizzoli shook his head and laughed. “I think they both just got that home run he was wanting…….”


	19. The Blue Crew

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Around the room

Culture Club; Karma Chameleon 

Alessia Cara; I’m Yours

A dozen blocks away Roxie pulled up to the apartment building chewing her lip. The windows were dark as she left her car and made her way up the stairs. She moved carefully as she stepped over the center of the hallway, trying to avoid alerting the bear who lived next door. When she got to the door, her ears fell as the stained glass glittered. She looked around the door at the woodwork and shook her head. She had been more focused on getting there than paying attention to it. She grabbed her wallet from her purse and dug through it, sticking a finger into the hidden compartment she used a claw for to dig out a key she’d had a copy made of and kept hidden. After not seeing either Nick or Wolford’s car outside she wasn’t worried about either of them being home, and she was keeping an eye on Mrs. Beesly’s door as she stuck the key in the lock. She tried to move the door quietly as she opened it, and her jaw hung as it swung open without so much as a creak. She closed it after stepping inside and flipped the lights on, walking around the room. She ran a paw over the top of the couch, smiling as she looked around. “Oh, you have been busy, haven’t you Nick?” The picture on the table caused her to smirk as she shook her head. “That will be the first thing to go.” She left the apartment in a hurry and rushed back to her car, almost running into Mr. Crowely as she got to the sidewalk. 

“HEY!” He screamed as she looked up shaking her head.

Mrs. Beesly stuck her head out the window and narrowed her eyes as the ram held a clear umbrella over the bunny’s head. “What is she doing here?” she looked around scowling at the headlights of the ram’s car shining and shook her head as she looked at the busted streetlight. If it weren’t for the headlights, she was sure she would have missed them standing together. The bear growled as she watched the doe getting friendly with the sheep who ran the apartment building. When he walked her to her car and held his umbrella over her head until she had slipped behind the wheel, the bear scowled as she shook her head and closed her window. 

Roxie drove to the bar she knew Nick was usually at between shifts. All she knew about foxes meant Nick couldn’t find someone else. It just wasn’t possible. He had to be trying to get her attention by making her jealous. The doe was far to conceited to believe there was another reason he’d been with another bunny. She parked the car outside the bar and resolved to giving him something he’d wanted before. To meet all his friends and come to a place he liked being. If it got her back in the door, she could do that for a little while. But she already had another idea if it wouldn’t work as she grabbed some papers in the box on the seat and looked them over smiling. Both hers and Nicks signatures at the bottom of the paper and talking to Mr. Crowely should be enough. She left them there as she got out of the car and rushed under the awning covering the large windows. Her face fell as she watched Wolford trying to stand, Nick catching him, and the gray bunny she’d seen him with before, laughing inside the bar.

Wolford tried to stand and nearly fell over as Nick grabbed his shirt and shook his head. “I think you should sit down, Fort.” The wolf shook his head as Judy watched Nick laughing, trying to hold him up straight.

“No…we have to do the...the thing, Nick.” Wolford smirked as he pointed to Judy. The doe lifted her ears as Fangmeyer and Grizzoli took seats at the table, with Snarlov laughing as Wolford nearly knocked over one of the chairs. Wooler shook his head and made his way back to another table seeing them all take their usual seats.

“I think the thing can wait, Fort. You’re teetering and I don’t want you squashing my bunny.” 

“No,” Wolford shook his head as he stumbled into the wall while Nick tried to keep him from falling over. “It can’t wait, it has to be now. That’s how it’s always been done.”

Nick rolled his eyes and looked back to Judy as she looked between them. “When someone wins one of these things, the loser is supposed to dance with the winner. It’s the victory dance. But seeing as you two have such a size difference, I don’t see how that would work when he might fall over and…” Nick watched Judy laughing and chewing her lip as he chuckled. 

“Come on Nick, you don’t really think he’d hurt me, do you?”

Nick snickered as he nodded. “I think him teetering and losing may be the only reason he’s being so friendly, but….Hey Swiss?” Snarlov looked at them chuckling and nodded as Fangmeyer pulled the loose chair back to the table beside Grizzoli. 

Delgato laughed as he grabbed the drinks from the booth and brought them back to the table as he took a seat. Snarlov grabbed Wolford under the arm as Nick pointed to Judy. The doe squeaked as Delgato lifted her up and stuck her on Nick’s shoulders. She looked down as Nick grabbed both her legs and he snickered as she grabbed his ears. Charlie had taken a seat at the bar until he saw his sister waving him to the table. They all sat and watched as Snarlov helped Wolford to the little area where they had been dancing before. Nick stood in front of them with a paw on Wolford’s chest and Snarlov left them under the lights after Wolford grabbed both Judy’s paws. With her sitting on Nick’s shoulders, her and Wolford were almost at the same height for dancing. “Hey Swiss?” Nick asked as he looked to Snarlov.

Snarlov stood next to them grinning as he folded his paws over his chest. “I’ll stay right here. Just in case he falls over.” The wolf looked over as Fangmeyer walked to the floor and laughed as she stuck several bills in the juke box. 

Nick scrunched his nose smiling as Judy held onto Wolford’s paws. Whatever was playing on the juke box was ignored as Nick started moving back and forth with one paw holding one of Judy’s legs and the other keeping Wolford from leaning too close to them. “Aww look, my wife and my girlfriend are dancing with me.” 

“What?” Judy looked at Wolford as he laughed and down at Nick shaking her head. She glanced at the table as Grizzoli, Gerald, Fangmeyer, Delgato and Charlie laughed. Snarlov snickered as he shook his head. 

“It’s a long story Carrots, but I’ll fill you in later.”

Wolford narrowed his eyes as Judy looked back at him and raised her brows. “Didn’t you fill her in already? I could have sworn that’s what all the noise was from at home earlier.”

“OH!” Fangmeyer laughed as she fell over the table with Charlie covering his eyes as he chuckled. The doe blinked a few times as Nick snickered, and her head flew back giggling when Wolford bounced his brows and smirked. 

Ginger pulled her shirt out from under the fur dryer in the kitchen for drying paws and threw it on before she tucked it into her skirt. Her ears lifted as she heard laughing, and she peeked out from behind the curtain fighting off a tidal wave of emotions. She watched the little gray bunny dancing with Wolford and Nick as Wolford grabbed both the does cheeks. The bunny’s eyes had gone wide as he kissed her and Snarlov had grabbed him as Nick started laughing. Ginger turned clutching the countertop and fighting off tears as she tried to pull herself together again. April stepped behind the curtain with a tray full of empty glasses and caught her sniffling as she sat everything down. “Ginger?”

The red panda shook her head as April tried to step closer and held her paws up as she frowned. “Just, give me a few minutes and I’ll be back out to help.” April looked out the partially open curtain watching Snarlov grab Wolford as he nearly knocked Nick over. She looked back to Ginger, frowning as the red panda turned her eyes. “Just, don’t let them know I’m…. tell them I’m still drying my shirt if they ask.” Ginger wiped her face off as April sighed and let the curtain close before she made rounds again, waiting until they left the floor to get their drinks. The officers watching were laughing and shaking their heads as Fangmeyer pulled her brother to the little dance area. Grizzoli and Gerald both shook their heads giving them dirty looks as Delgato laughed. 

Fangmeyer caught Judy’s fingers, spinning with them until Nick had caught his feet again. Judy clutched one of the tiger’s claws as she grabbed her brother around the arm and turned them all. The doe looked at Nick skeptically and laughed as he shrugged. “Live a little, Carrots.” Judy rolled her eyes and laughed as the tigers danced in what she could only describe as making her and Nick the epicenter they were moving around. By the time both tigers wondered back to the table, April had come out from behind the bar with another tray and a pitcher of drinks she knew came after someone had won a Wildfire challenge. Snarlov had managed to get Wolford into a seat as Nick tipped over, catching Judy as she squeaked and slid off his shoulders. He took a seat and chuckled as Grizzoli shoved a smaller chair closer for her while the officers watching snickering.

Nick looked up smirking when April sat the tray on the table, and she moved the large pitcher to the center and slid glasses in front of everyone. He introduced Judy to everyone, and she smiled as she shook several paws. She tipped forward wiggling her nose as Fangmeyer ticked her eyes between the doe and Grizzoli. Nick started explaining the drinks and Judy laughed as they all started filling their glasses.

Roxie stood outside the bar, wiping the rain from her brow and watching Judy dancing with Wolford and Nick. She shook her head as her lip curled up on one side and brushed the rain away from her eyes, scowling as they made their way back to a table. Nick picked up one of the does ears, acting like he was chewing on it, and licked it a few times. He bounced his brow at the hole he’d left with one of his canines. Roxie growled as she watched the other bunny tick her eyes to the side and snatch her ear as Nick laughed and pulled her into his arms. “He said that about me and look how fast she’s moving in on him!” She jumped back into her car and sped away as Ginger stepped behind the bar again. The red panda was giggling as she listened to them talking while she dried off the glasses kept under the counter. She turned and smiled at an arctic vixen, making her a drink as she answered a few questions about the bar and the officers who came in.

Nick threw his arms around talking as Wolford and Snarlov sat beside each other. Fangmeyer kept trying to catch her breath watching the bunny’s face as Nick explained some of the rituals they had in the bar. She looked to the cheetah sitting with them as his ears ticked back. Gerald shrugged as he smiled and shook his head. “No, I didn’t get half of what they were saying the first time I came in here, so don’t feel too out of place. I haven’t been here that long either.”

“Is this drink, one of your things too, Nick?” Judy asked and Nick shook his head.

“No, this is Spicy’s thing. She started it after she took over the bar when her dad retired. Changed the name of the place too.”

Wolford looked around for her as Fangmeyer grabbed the pitcher. “Her name is Ginger, Nick calls everyone something else.” After explaining Nick names, the tiger smirked as she leaned forward. Judy watched her stirring her drink with a finger and cringed.

“You all like the names he gives you?”

“PFAH!” Wolford spat as he laughed and grabbed a drink the tiger had pushed in front of him.

Nick snickered as Fangmeyer leaned closer. “I guess they stick. Funny you would ask after how he says you insisted on him calling you Carrots.” The doe blinked as she recalled a memory in the doctor’s office and Nick laughed as her ears fell. Judy watched him making a drink before he sat a glass in front of her and motioned to the pitcher and cream next to it.

“You guys mix cream with alcohol?” she asked as she looked at everyone. “That doesn’t sound like it would sit well.”

“We’re accustomed to them. How is it you can handle liquor that nearly knocked Wolford on his end? Do rabbit drink a lot?” Snarlov asked. They all ticked their eyes between Judy and the bear as Grizzoli threw his head back laughing.

Judy shrugged. “We use the corn that’s not sold at market to make grain alcohol. A lot of rural areas use well water. The only way to purify the water is with alcohol. We drink the stuff from the time we’re weaned.”

Gerald scrunched his nose. “Why don’t you just boil it? Isn’t that…illegal, for kits to drink it?”

Judy looked at Grizzoli as he laughed again. She bit her lip as the bear rolled his eyes and sighed. “No, it’s not. Some farms are so far out they don’t have electricity or gas, it costs too much to run water lines to some of the farms. Burning wood is the only way to keep a home warm, but wood costs money and/or time and energy to cut. That would take away from the farming. Its legal in the most remote areas where freshwater is scarce.”

Judy looked at the drink and frowned. “You guys like this drink?”

Fangmeyer giggled as she stopped stirring her drink and stuck her finger in her mouth. “They’re finger licking good, probably as much as you are.” Judy gawked as Nick narrowed his eyes and shook his head.

“Go find your own girl or just tie one on Fangs!” Nick motioned to her drink as Judy lifted her brows.

The tiger curled her lip and looked him over shaking her head. “I’m not tying anything with you fox! She can do that.” Her brother laughed with Snarlov and Wolford as Grizzoli shook his head. Delgato had turned his attention back to the bar watching Ginger talking to the Arctic vixen. April pulled a large cookie from her apron and handed it to Judy as she cured her lip.

Nick smirked as he took it and unwrapped it from the plastic. “You’re part off the blue crew now, Carrots. You won a cookie with the challenge. You have to eat that.” 

“Why?” She asked looking around.

Nick smirked as she looked around the table. “Because you’re the smart cookie and it’s one of our things. Everybody who wins gets a cookie.”

Judy looked at all the frosting and cringed as she bit through it as April walked away. Everyone   
at the table was trying not to laugh as she looked around and licked her lips. “What?” She looked at her paws and sneered at the frosting, trying to lick it off her fingers and teeth as she shook her head. 

Fangmeyer leaned forward smiling as Judy looked around the table. “Your teeth are blue. You look like you’ve been sucking on a Smurf.”

Judy looked at Nick as he leaned back in his chair and pulled his pants away from his waste. “Nope, still as red as the devil.” Her jaw fell as she looked down blinking and back at everyone as they laughed.

Fangmeyer smacked a paw to the table as she wiped her eyes. “They fall for it, every time!”

Judy narrowed her eyes as she looked at Nick and he leaned over grinning as he brushed one of her ears back. “Personally, I don’t care for cookies. I think I’d rather have some…. Carrot cake.” The doe squeaked as she tried to bolt from the chair and Nick grabbed her chuckling as he pulled her into his lap. She buried her head in his neck and his eyes rolled back when she grabbed a chunk of his skin and rolled it through her teeth. Grizzoli leaned over laughing as Wolford shook his head.

Judy giggled as Nick pulled her closer. She looked up as a much rounder cheetah stopped at the table and handed her a wad of cash, frowning as she looked it over and sighed. Nick raised a brow as she cringed. She looked around the table asking what they did with what they’d won and watched them shrug as she pulled what she’d bet from it and stuck the rest in Nick’s pocket. The fox blinked as Wolford sat up with wide eyes. “I don’t gamble. Sorry, I was just trying to make a point.” They all waved telling Clawhauser goodnight as he left with a small crowd. 

“You won it, Carrots.” Nick tried to give it back as she shook her head. 

“Well, just pay bills, or rent or something with it.” She answered as she shook her head.

“Where’d you get what you bet with anyway?” Nick asked as she sighed.

“My mother gave it to me when she came in.” The fox smiled as he stuffed it back into his pocket and looked over seeing Wolford covering his mouth as he smiled.

Nick smirked as he looked at Grizzoli and scrunched his nose. “Maybe I should get you some candy bars, since you aren’t fond of the cookies and frosting.” 

The bear cringed as Judy made a sour face. “I’m not a big fan of chocolate, Nick. Most rabbits aren’t.” Ginger stepped out from behind the bar and started walking towards the table with her ears perked in curiosity.

Nick nodded as he rubbed his chin. “Eh, I like Almond Joys, but I bet you’d like mounds better. They don’t have a ton of chocolate in them. Coconut mostly.” Judy cringed as Nick looked at Grizzoli snickering. The bear shook his head as he lifted his glass and Nick smirked as he ran a claw down her ears. “I bet you would love it even more if I added something else with it.” Judy shook her head as he leaned forward grinning. “Mounds, with lots and lots, of Butterfingers.”

Judy’s jaw fell as Grizzoli spit what he was trying to swallow. Fangmeyer fell over laughing in her brother’s lap as Ginger let her shoulders fall and opened her eyes glaring at the fox. Gerald leaned away from the table and Nick cringed as she shook her head and wiped off the concoction of a Smooty that had been sprayed all over her. She held her paw up shaking her head as Grizzoli and Nick tried to grab the towel on the table. “Don’t bother, either of you. I give up- I’m going home.” 

Wolford tried to stand and Snarlov caught him as he tipped into the table. “Ginger, I need to talk to you.”

Nick shook his head as Ginger wiped her face off with her shirt. “It can wait, Fort.” Ginger sighed as she nodded and motioned for him to sit back down. Wolford grumbled as he watched Ginger leave and looked back at Nick frowning. “I got it, Fort. We’re going. I’ll be right back.” He glanced at Snarlov as he stood and left several bills on the table before he went to the back of the bar with Judy. Once they were around the corner, he dove in stealing her breath and leaned over her grinning as she looked up at him with red eyes, panting as she shook her head. “I’m cursed, but you have a wicked tongue.” She huffed as he smirked.

“I’m hoping you’ll find out exactly how wicked my tongue really is, preferably sooner than later.” Judy whined as she buried her face in his chest and he laughed as he pet her ears. “I have to take Fort home. Think you will be alright here until I get back? Or do you just want to meet me back at the apartment again? He doesn’t have enough seats in his car for all of us.” she curled her brow and he chuckled as he scratched his neck. “My car is at the station. The battery’s dead. The headlights got turned on while we were at the track and well…” He shrugged and snickered as she cringed. “I’ll ask Swiss if he can jump it for me tomorrow.”

Judy looked out and watched the table they were at laughing as she nodded. “I can just walk. I like the rain anyway. It uhm…”

“Cools you off?” he asked chuckling as she looked up at him with red eyes and nodded. “Then I’ll just wait for you there. I really want to see you in your best colors.” 

“My best colors?” She curled her brow and he smirked as he dipped his nose into her neck. 

“I bet you look ravishing wearing nothing but a little green, and lots of red. That’s what I keep dreaming about. Of course, at some point I’m going to have to add some gold.” Her mouth fell open as he nipped her neck and pressed himself against her. 

“Evil fox!” She grabbed him under the arms and pulled him closer as she fought off the growl in her throat. 

Nick smirked as he leaned back and let her catch her breath again. She looked up at him huffing as he smiled. “It seems like you might have a little more control over that when you know there are others around.” She narrowed her eyes as he bounced his brow. “Don’t be too long, Carrots. I’m taking you camping.”

“Camping?” she asked as he stepped away and threw his arms out. 

“I’m already pitching a tent for you! What else would we be doing? You can go out the back door so no one will see you like this. You come and go as you please, I’ll wait.” He pointed down the dark hallway and pecked her on the cheek, leaving her standing there blinking.

Nick walked back to the table grinning ear to ear as Wolford shook his head. “Where’s your girl, Nick?” He looked the direction Nick had come from and shook his head as he spotted a pair of glowing red eyes from the dark hallway. “Yeah, I think I need to go home.” Judy shook her head before she darted down the hall, and outside into the rain.

Nick chuckled and looked back where she was, smiling as Snarlov helped him get Wolford out the door. “She’ll be back at the apartment later. She’s addicted.” 

Snarlov waved to Fangmeyer and her brother. “I’ll see you tomorrow. Nice seeing you again, Charlie.” 

They both waved and Charlie turned to her shaking his head. “It’s a little ironic me seeing her again.”

“Again?” Fangmeyer asked as he nodded.

“Yeah I saw her on the train earlier.”

“What train?”

Charlie went on the tell her how he had met Judy and she frowned as she stood up, leaving him sitting there. “Why does it matter?”

Fangmeyer held a finger up and he sighed as she ran out the door. She watched Snarlov and rushed across the street as they got Wolford into the car.

Wolford leaned over in the seat and narrowed his eyes. “I don’t think she’s stringing you along. You going to let her get away? You should be taking her home, not me. I think she’s the real deal.” 

Nick laughed as he grabbed the keys and stuck them in the ignition. He started the car and shook his head as he looked to the dark alley and spotted a pair of glowing eyes watching. “She’s way too sweet for me to let her get too far, Fort. I’ve never been convicted of anything in my life, but they can throw me in a cell and lose the key if you think I’m letting her get away. When I look at her, I can see how she feels in her eyes. There’s no lie in them. It’s as plain as seeing colors. Karma is like a chameleon. You can’t see her or how she’s working even if she’s right in from of you. But I think she’s on my side this time.” Fangmeyer tried to wave them down, but Nick missed her. He winked at where Judy was and pulled away smiling. The tiger sighed as she explained everything to Snarlov. The white wolf shrugged, and she looked around sighing before she went back inside.

Judy shook her head as she let the rain sink past her fur, into her skin as another car pulled up. She giggling as Nick winked and watched a small ewe leave the other vehicle. She stepped back to the shadows as she watched Ginger step out of another car and hand her a plastic bag. “Dawn, you left your jacket here the other night. April has been keeping it behind the bar, but I didn’t want anything to get spilled on it, so I stuck it in a bag and left it in my car.”

“Thank you!” Dawn chirped as she took it and ran into the bar out of the rain as Ginger slipped into her car. 

Judy watched her pull away as Snarlov threw open an umbrella and started walking. She shook her head as a larger vehicle came to the curb, and pulled further into the shadows, growling as a buck stepped out and ran into the bar with a large bull following close behind him. She waited until the street was clear before she stepped out of the darkness and jumped back again as the little ewe came back out with the ram that had been talking to Nick earlier. Her nose flared as she narrowed her eyes. “Otterton?”

The Arctic vixen that had been in the bar rushed out the door holding a coat over her head as she handed the little ewe the papers Judy had filled out. She had noticed the bucks smell on her earlier, but it hadn’t been an issue when the vixen didn’t pay much attention to her, or she had simply been too excited filling out the paperwork to join the academy to think about it much. Nick was sincere in it, so was the vixen, so there was no reason to question it at the time. Judy looked around the street, trying to pinpoint where the scent of the otter she was looking for was coming from as Skye turned. The vixen froze as they locked eyes and Skye shook her head as Judy lowered her chin and stepped out of the shadows. She shook the water from her ears as the door to the little sheep’s car slammed. Her head shot up as the faint smell of the otter vanished and Skye fell to her rear as Judy jumped over her and barreled after the little car.

Skye shook her head as the glowing red eyes that had frozen her chased after the car Bellwether had left in with Wooler. She rushed back into the bar and grabbed Jack as he tried to get past Bogo, who had all the officers looking at him and the agent they had seen several times at the precinct. Bogo ushered them out the door as Skye pulled at Jack. 

Outside the bar the buck was shaking his head as Skye went on about red eyes and a curse said to plague foxes. Bogo rolled his eyes and shook his head as he walked back to his squad car. “I have someone watching Wilde, meet me back at the station so we can look over the last case.” He tipped his head at Longfang and Swinton as they passed him to keep up with Wilford’s car. 

The buck rolled his eyes as Skye jumped in her seat. He pinched the bridge of his nose as she started the car. “You know I love you Skye, but I need to get to the station and what are you talking about?! A curse? We’re looking for a murd– FOR THE LOVE OF PETER RABBIT, SKYE!” He screamed and grabbed the dash as the car shot around Bogo’s, chasing after Judy. 

“JACK! THIS IS SERIOUS! YOU HAVE GOT TO LISTEN TO ME!” Jack lunged in the seat as Skye swerved around another car and Bogo curled his lip as he looked around. 

Bogo almost flipped his lights on and chased after them but looked to the side and shook his head as he turned the other way. It would only draw more attention and he shook his head as he caught Jack in the car passing him with a scowl on his face, shaking his head at the vixen. “Female drivers and working with your partner… no wonder she’s agitated.”

Jack sighed as he let his ears drop. Skye hadn’t even noticed he had covered the stripes on his ears or face as she sped through an intersection and caught sight of the bunny chasing Bellwether’s car. “Alright, I can see whatever this is has you on edge. You might as well explain it.”

Skye scowled when Judy turned and looked around at the surrounding before she stuck her nose in the air. “You know who Hera is right?” 

Jack nodded as he sighed and watched Judy turn and sprint the other direction. It was obvious the doe was having problems keeping the scent she was trying to follow in the rain, and a problem he was familiar with. Skye turned following Judy, and even though the doe had looked at their car, the buck watching her lowered his brow as she took off, not even giving them a second thought. “She was married to Zeus. Also a vengeful Goddess who cursed every female he cheated on her with.”

Jack tipped a brow as he looked at Skye. “Your point is?”

Skye slowed watching Judy nearly get run over by a train. The doe bounced off the tracks and off the crosswalk like a ricochet, jumping off a street sign before she landed on the road panting. Jack leaned forward watching her gritting her teeth as she tried to scent the air. Even if she could have followed the sight of the small cars lights in the rain, she had lost the scent as she shook her head watching the end of the train get past the safety bars that had lowered for cars. He ticked his eyes to Skye as she growled. 

“Hercules was one of his kits.” Jack rolled his eyes and nodded. “Do you know what species he was?” 

“Supposedly a fox of some kind.”

“Yes, well do you know what Hera did to him and his family just because she was angry about Zeus being with his mother?” Jack fought not to roll his eyes as his ears shot up and Judy turned blinking. The buck looked at her narrowing his eyes as Judy’s eyes glowed red. “SEE! EVEN WHEN YOUR EYES CATCH THE LIGHT AT NIGHT, THEY DON’T LOOK LIKE THAT!” He tilted his head to the side as the doe seemed to zone out before she started running again as the safety bar lifted from the tracks.

“No, they don’t. Follow her, Skye.” 

The vixen turned the car around on the shoulder and sped the same direction, slamming her paws to the wheel when she lost sight of the doe as she bounced through several smaller areas between buildings. “DAMN!” Skye looked at him growling. “Jack, Hercules’ wife was a bunny. After they found out Hercules was the reason their daughter was killed by Hera, they cursed him. Her husband was already dead when she got pregnant, the rabbits knew it wasn’t their son who was the father. Zeus had disguised himself as her dead mate to be with her.” Jack rolled his eyes and he rubbed his forehead. “This isn’t a joke! She worked with Hades and created a curse they gave to the rabbits to keep foxes away from them. Every fox in his father’s species born after that curse was placed on him had red fur! Hercules looked like a fox, but he had a rabbit tail because of his mother! No foxes were red before then!” 

Jack pinched the bridge of his nose and shook his head. “Evolution changes fur patterns and colors, Skye, not a curse.”

“Oh Yeah, Jack? How many times has evolution done that in a single generation? How many foxes were red in that species before they started calling them red foxes and not just Vulpes? Do you know how far reaching red foxes are in their natural environments? Why would evolution turn them red when it doesn’t blend in with where they are! Anyone who can see color and has eyes can spot them from a mile away! What sense does it make for evolution to turn them red after we became civilized?! Hades did that because he hated Zeus just as much as Hera, getting to his son was just a way to stab at him. It was also a way to get the souls of the rabbits who set the curse on someone as an act of violence! Hades feeds on anger, pain, guilt and remorse. His power comes from the emotions the other Gods avoid. A fox who killed someone with a demon was cursed to the underworld too. The more souls Hades has to control, and the more pain they are in while they live, the more powerful he is. They won’t just kill the one they love the most if they lose control, they will kill anyone else around them and be damned for doing it. Even if they ran from the one they loved and never killed someone, Hades would thrive on the loneliness they felt before they died. The only thing that can kill someone who has that curse is the Devil’s key, a knife Hades made that was said to kill the demon that lived inside someone who had it! They are Hades demons, or devils that possess the foxes!” 

Jack huffed as he looked around. “You might as well take us back to the station, Skye. Bogo has someone watching Wilde and his partner to make sure they don’t get hurt. If this curse was designed for foxes, how can she have it?”

“You said it, you look like a bunny Jack, but your instincts are so much higher than a fox’s, because of what you are! You are more fox than rabbit even though that’s not what you look like! Doesn’t it make sense that she could have the curse knowing what Anterior rabbits are like? Most rabbits, especially the older ones who know a rabbit kit is born with fox blood would try to keep them from mating or wouldn’t want people knowing about it would they? What about anyone else she could hurt, Jack?” 

“Skye, we aren’t going to find her in the rain. If she lost who she was tracking, you know I won’t be able to find her either. Out of nothing more than curiosity, why is this knife called the Devil’s key?”

Skye looked around and growled as she turned the corner and pointed the car back to the station. “Because, it will kill the Demon and the person who is stuck with it. It was made with Flint, and it’s strange looking. It looks like a pyramid lined with quartz. Zeus couldn’t change what they had done but he knew Hades and Hera didn’t really get along, and it was the only reason they worked together. After he found out what happened he said that anyone who could wield the knife could open the gates of hell into Hades realm. If anyone managed to get to Hades with it, Hades had to grant them what they asked for, or Zeus would imprison him and Hera together for the chaos they had both caused.”

Jack groaned before his ears shot up. “Did you hear that?” Skye looked around the street and slowed the car as he rolled his window down. “Park over there.” She pulled up to a curb as he tilted his ears and frowned. She turned the car off when he got out and slammed the door. 

“Jack?” She asked as she opened her door and stepped out watching his ears swivel back and forth while he looked around the street.

“Did you happen to get Wilde’s address when you were looking over everything earlier?”

She nodded as she watched his nose twitching in the rain. “He doesn’t live anywhere near here.” 

Jack looked around with his ears pitching and shook his head. “Call Bogo and find out if he’s heard anything from the officer’s watching them.” He looked around the street again and into the alleys he could see shaking his head. “I can’t smell anything in the rain, I don’t see anything, and I don’t hear anything anymore. We lost her Skye. They should be on alert in case she shows up, or already has.” Jack’s ears shot up and turned just before his head did. He moved to the furthest alley with Skye following behind him. The vixen stopped as he held up a paw and shook his head. Her ears shot up as Jack walked into a dark corner she was having a hard time seeing in. 

The vixen stepped back gasping as a figured jumped and shot over her. Jack jumped several times as she fell beck and looked up with wide eyes as some unidentified animal jumped high enough to have him considering if he was seeing right. The buck jerked his head back as he heard Skye screaming. “JACK! JACK! HE’S HURT!”

The rabbit bound back, trying to get to her and stopped as she looked up at him cringing. He yanked his phone out as she held a wolf’s head in her paw and kept pressure on an open wound at his neck. He hung up after telling nine one one where to find them and stepped closer, shaking his head as he recognized the wolf Skye was trying to keep calm. “Stay still, we have help on the way.”

Skye looked at Jack shaking her head as he leaned closer to the wolf. “I know him, Jack. He was at the bar. His name is Snarlov. He’s one of Bogo’s officers.”

Jack let his ears fall as he looked up at her from where the wolf was trying to say something. He looked away and blinked as Snarlov fell silent. “Jack? What did he say?”

“Nothing that makes any sense.” Jack and Skye moved after the ambulance had pulled up and started working on the wolf. He pulled his phone out and the vixen chewed her lip as he stuck it to his ear. “Chief Bogo…... yes. Meet us at- hang on a minute.” Jack looked at the EMT as they got the wolf onto a gurney. “What hospital are you taking him to?”

“Zootopia Central.” A hyena who was keeping pressure on his throat answered.

Jack nodded as he stuck the phone back to his ear and watched them load him into the ambulance. The doors slammed shut and he sighed. “Meet us at Zootopia Central, ASAP. One of your officers is injured.” He looked at Skye and paused, cringing as Bogo’s voice broke through the line enough for her to hear him screaming. “No, I don’t, Sir. You should send a team to look over the area he was attacked. I’ll stay here and wait for them. I can keep anyone else away from everything until they arrive, but it’s unlikely they’ll find anything. No, we won’t be in harm’s way. The assailant has already left the area.” The vixen nodded as she looked around. “Nothing he said made any sense and neither of us saw anything. We will come to the hospital as soon as the officers arrive.” He hung up and started looking around as Skye kept an eye on the street looking for the officers Bogo had dispatched. “Since we have at least ten minutes to kill until they get here, tell me more about this curse and that knife you mentioned, Skye.” The vixen looked at him with narrowed eyes as he looked around, until he looked back at her tipping a brow.

“What did he say to you? Why didn’t you tell Bogo we saw someone?” She asked as Jack cupped a paw over his muzzle and shook his head. “Jack?”

“He said it wasn’t a mammal. It didn’t have any fur. I’m not sure what I saw and I don’t want Chief Bogo thinking I’ve lost my mind trying to explain it.”

She tilted her head and narrowed her eyes as Jack cringed. “A lot of mammals don’t have fur, Jack.”

Jack sighed as he scratched behind one of his ears. “There are a few, yes. But I can’t think of any off the top of my head that have horns, hooves and claws and can change their size or shape. Not even a chameleon can do that.” Skye cringed as he stepped closer. “I just hope they don’t lose him and all we have to go on is gone. He’s the only one that has survived an attack. The knife, tell me about it, Skye. I don’t know anything about the curse you mentioned, and I grew up with bunnies. I need to know.”

“That’s because you grew up with Arctic Rabbits. It’s something the old ones tell the younger foxes, to keep us away from your kind. The curse works on all foxes, but was made for red foxes. It probably works on other species too, but I’ve never heard of it working on a bunny. Someone who knows the spell and how to use it is hard to find, even though it used to be common knowledge. It’s more common with the red foxes to be cursed. He said something else didn’t he, Jack?” The buck stepped close enough to be eye to eye with her and looked at her in a way that made her sigh. She pointed to the street and Jack turned looking out of the alley. “I’ll tell you everything I know on the way to the hospital. Karma is what the old foxes said would get you, if you wondered too close to a rabbit and got cursed for falling in love with one of them.”

Jack frowned as he looked to the streets where he could see the lights from the police cars flashing against the buildings as they parked the cars. “If being around bunnies and falling in love with one of us costs foxes their survival -Well, isn’t Karma a Bitch sometimes?” He growled and let the officers take over after giving a short statement and motioned to the car. Skye watched him shaking his head and frowning as they drove to the hospital to meet Bogo……………


	20. Catch A Demon By The Tail

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Getting warm out

Judy: Little Mix: Black Magic

Nick: Steve Holy; Love Don’t Run*

Nick had been looking out his window and wearing a tread in the floor after getting home. He’d been a little amused at having to help Wolford up the stairs and into his apartment, well more so at the fact that he was drunk enough he was trying to use Nick as a crutch and had him laughing so hard with his comments he was nearly crying as he wrestled him into his reclining chair and watched him pass out. He covered his partner, and even though Mrs. Beesly had tried to get his attention he waved her off shaking his head as he rushed into his apartment, telling her it would have to wait because he was expecting Judy to come back soon. The happy feeling had faded as the hours ticked away, and he wasn’t anywhere near elated about the squad car parked outside their apartment building. He wasn’t sure what they were looking for, but after the Chief had asked him to get Judy to the station to talk to another rabbit he already didn’t care for, he had his own suspicions. None of them were that they wanted her to help with an investigation or anything to do with the mammal inclusion program. He finally picked up his phone and dialed a number he knew might be the only one who could get him some answers. If anyone knew the quick word on the streets, it was none other than…

“Wilde.” Duke sighed as he leaned up in his chair and let out an overexaggerated groan. “I know you cops is supposed to be sleeping this time of night. So why is it you’re calling me?”

“Duke,” Nick almost growled as the weasel lifted one side of his lip. “You can stop making that face. I already know you sit up most of the night listening to the scanners and have every mammal in most of the city who is running at night call you if they hear anything. I need some information.”

Duke leaned back in his chair looking over at all the machines and computer screens in front of him and sucked his teeth. “Hang on a minute.” Nick heard the line clicking several times before Duke came back on growling. “Yeah, well what choice have I got when you done made it clear if I picked up any merchandise that was questionable I’d be meeting with some of my old…associates, in less than savory circumstances. Half of them already think I’m on the other side of things and I can’t count how many times I been shook down because of things being the way they are.”

Nick chuckled as he moved the curtains, looking out his window at the squad car again. “What were you just doing any way?”

“You think I’m stupid, Nick? Or are you stupid?” Nick narrowed his eyes and growled.

“O.K. You are stupid. You got a tracker on your phone fox, and I’m not in the habit of telling people my business even if you somehow know most of it.”

“A tracker? On my phone?” He asked as he rolled his eyes. “Give me a break. If you think I believe you’re up all night and are looking at things that happened all over the city just because I’m a pain in your tail, you really must think I’m stupid. Why the hell would anyone track my phone?”

Duke sighed as he leaned back and grumbled. “What is it you want?”

“Better.” Nick chirped as he kept an eye on the squad car parked outside his building. “I need to know if you’ve heard anything about a bunny lately.” A long silence had his ears perked and he cleared his throat as Duke sighed.

“What bunny?”

“Any bunny Duke. Don’t make me come over there and expose all your hacker crap.” Nick warned with a gruff voice that had the weasel cringing as he looked around the shop and all the screens in front of him. 

“Nuttin better come back to me and this better not-

“It won’t just tell me what you’ve heard, Duke.”

“That tracker on your phone, the bunny put it there.”

“What bunny is that?” Nick asked as he curled his lip.

Duke snickered as he nodded. “You already know by the way your voice just dropped a few octaves. Works for the Z.B.I. In town looking into the Demon case again. He just left the lowlight district. His names Jack Savalde. He was undercover trying to get to Doug Ramses. Trying to figure out who was behind the Night howler case.” The weasel smirked as he looked over several screens and moved a few things around on the touch screen with his fingers.

“I thought that case was closed.” Nick shook his head as he closed the curtains. He wasn’t worried about Longfang and Swinton seeing him from where they were parked. It was obvious they both lived in an area where fire escapes weren’t needed or used because they had parked too close to see anything but the front doors to the apartment building.

“Yeah, until Ramses cut a deal with them to expose who was behind it. Says they were trying to locate where the plants were being grown and how they had gotten them because they are a controlled substance. Only available to farmers or something. Funny you and Wolford being the officers who brought that to their attention, and now this rabbit is interested in the bunny you got your eyes on.”

“What? HOW THE HELL ARE YOU LOOKING AT Z.B.I. FILES?!” Duke laughed as he leaned forward, and Nick was grinding his teeth as the line went silent. “DUKE?”

“I’m sure you already understand the concept of hacker-Everybody has a backup route to get into their systems. There just isn’t anyone good enough to do it alive except me. Hang on a second. There’s something I want from you if I give you this information.” 

Nick huffed as he chewed his cheeks. “You know I can’t run both sides of the fence, Duke.”

“That isn’t what I want. I want you to leave me alone.” The fox stuck his shoulder up shaking his fists until the weasel laughed. “I won’t be going back to doing anything illegal if that’s what your worried about. You can still be all upstanding and check if you want to. I’ll still bring you anything that’s brought to me if it isn’t legal.”

“What’s the catch?” The fox tilted his head as he grabbed his phone and sank into the cushions of the couch he fell into.

“There isn’t one.” Nick scowled as he looked off and shook his head. “I’m serious. I want you to come in here a couple times a week and act like you were when I started the pawn shop.” Nick scrunched his nose and raised a brow as he sat up. Weaselton chuckled. “I been talking to someone a lot lately. I think it’s going to be a mutual benefit kind of relationship. She-

“She?” Nick smiled wider and chuckled.

“Keep your ideas to yourself, Nick. It isn’t that kind of relationship, but I think it might be one that gets me through some doors and will make me real wealthy. If it’s going to work, I need to keep things low. Make it look like I’m still on the wrong side of things and on your radar.”

“What have you gotten into, Duke? You’re worried about – how are you even sure you know who you’re talking to?!” The silence on the line caused him to roll his eyes. “How can you possibly be sure of that?”

“Because I’m a Gods damned genius! You need proof of it, I can tell you exactly what it was Mr. Big was talking to Chief Bogo about yesterday.”

Nick stopped cold as his ears flipped back. “Why would Mr. Big be talking to Chief Bogo?”

Duke sighed as he sat the phone down and connected it to his computer, so he was speaking into a headset. “You sure you want to go down this rabbit hole, Nick? There won’t be a magic potion or cake you can eat that will make it any bigger or smaller than it is to you.”

“No, I don’t- just- not now, what’s Savage looking at Judy for?”

“His name isn’t Savage, it’s Savalde and according to this he’s on assignment by request.”

“Yeah well he’s still just Savage to me. Request by who?”

Duke laughed as he swiped several screens away. “Chief Bogo.” 

Nick groaned as he tried not to bite through his tongue. “Later- I’ll ask later, and I expect answers Duke. Just tell me why Savage is looking at Judy?”

“He walks around with those stripes of his and that’s what everyone will see him as. Jack the Savage. They were calling him Jack the Ripper Mimic at first.” Nick groaned as Duke carried on. “You know all those stories were made up? Everything was fabricated about how he killed predators and took their fur to make rugs out of them? It was just so everyone in the prison system would think he was insane, and he could get closer to that ram who hated predators.”

“DUKE!” Nick yelled and looked around shaking his head.

“Alright, alright- Let me see. Looks like your guy made a call to the main branch and left a recorded message. Let me move some things around and see if I can get the audio to play….”

Nick’s ears perked as he heard the recording start. “Savalde reporting. Status critical. The Demon case and future possible victims has forced Skye Winter’s and me into agent covers. All local officers will be notified of our presence and updated on the case with Chief Bogo’s morning briefing and Media has made the case public prior to this. There have been two more found since the request was made. Chief Bogo is no longer capable of shielding his officers from prior or future incidents. Three more victims were found dead. The first before arrival was a large male otter, the second was a male red fox, the third was a red fox female. The dynamics of the case have changed. In all the other murders the genus changed from victim to victim. The span of time between each case has also amped into days instead of years, which means the murderer has changed their M.O. This indicates something in the personal life of the perpetrator has changed. Though there have been a few females there have not been several in a row that were linked in a specific way. The fourth victim survived and was found at 22 hundred hours seventeen minutes.”

Nick looked at his watch reading Two forty-five A.M. “That was just over a few hours ago.” His ears shot up as Jack continued.

“The survivor gave a short statement but what I understood makes no sense. He stated it wasn’t a mammal, that it grew and shrank in size, had no fur and its teeth were like that of a saber tooth tiger long extinct. It had claws that grew each time it swiped him and eyes that glowed like fire. Hallucinations due to blood loss and possible trauma can’t be ruled out at this point, I will speak with the victim once he has been stabilized.” 

Nick held the phone up as he pulled the curtains back again. The sight of a shadow with long ears was what caught his eye and he spoke without thought as Duke was leaning in his chair watching the screen with narrowed eyes. “I have to go, this isn’t over. One more thing, if you can fix it so they can’t hear all this, fix it so that my phone can’t be tracked. There’s something else I want from you if you want your little side project to stay a secret. I’ll call you back later.”

“Nick you can’t just- The line went dead and Weaselton rolled his eyes as he started typing frantically. Nick opened the windows letting the wind blow the curtains around and stuck his head out, glancing at the squad car before his attention returned to the alley he’d seen her going into. He shook his head as he stepped out on the fire escape and leaned out over the edge of the rail grabbing the gutter pipe. The rain made it slick enough he had to slow himself from falling too fast before he hit the ground. The rain was falling in thick sheets that made it difficult to see as he stepped into the dark space and tried to get his eyesight to adjust. He had what some called night vision, but evolution had taken its toll on those who had once stayed in darkness and now chose to live in the light. Making anything out in the dark space was proving difficult without the streetlight, and shapes or the sense of the space wasn’t good enough to see in as he pulled his phone out. Using the flashlight might catch the attention of the officers watching the apartment, so he simply turned the screen on to look around. Shadows fled in the lowlight and stopped on a figure curled up and trembling in the light. She flinched as he reached for her and Nick shoved his phone back in his pocket, pulling his shirt off and throwing it around her as the rain soaked through his fur. The fox stopped at the gutter pipe and briefly contemplated washing her off but the way she shivered against his chest after picking her up threw the thought out as he ignored the squad car and walked in a heated pace to the doors. After getting up the stairs and through the door of his apartment he was trying to adjust the water temperature in the tub as she clutched his fur, refusing to let go as he set the water.

He fought not to grumble about the claw foot tub and shower curtain surrounding it as he stripped his clothes off and crawled in still holding her wrapped in his shirt. The alarm bells going off in his mind as she sat between his legs staring at her paws as he grabbed the soap and started washing the blood out of her fur went into overdrive when he couldn’t find an injury anywhere on her. That coupled with the fact that she seemed to be oblivious to the fact that he was in the fur, wrapped around her as he pulled her clothes off under the water as she sobbed and buried her face in her paws was enough to have his arms quickly wrapped around her when she finally managed to speak. “I have to turn myself in.”

Nick brushed her ears behind her head as they both sat facing the spout and shook his head. “Do you remember anything, Carrots? We can’t assume you did something wrong just because of a little blood in your fur.”

“We can’t assume I didn’t, Nick!” She nearly shouted as his shoulders cinched up.

“Do you remember anything? I’m only asking the same things they would be asking you at the precinct if you did turn yourself in. Just, try to remember? Start at the bar when I left. I remember you watching me from the alley.”

Judy pulled her paws in front of herself and curled her brow again. “There was a sheep. A little sheep. I saw her at the concert with you. She was with the ram I saw at the bar. I was chasing her.”

“Wooler? He’s dating the assistant mayor. Her name is Dawn Bellwether. You were chasing her? Why?”

Judy kept her eyes on her paws as she started talking. Nick tilted his head over the side of her shoulders and watched her speak as if she was somewhere else. “I smelled Otterton. I chased her car after the vixen…. the rabbit that was there. They were a couple.”

“The rabbit?” Nick asked as Judy zoned out again.

“The vixen in the bar who gave me the papers for the mammal inclusion program. She is Savalde’s mate. She wasn’t lying about anything she said so I didn’t need to say anything about them or him.”

Nick tipped a brow as Judy stared blankly. “You know his name is Savalde? How do you know that?”

She kept her eyes locked on some unseen point as she spoke, and Nick could tell she was lost somewhere in her own head. “He told me, the day I met him, the same day I met you. He said he was undercover and trying to help me. He said he would make sure no one in the cell would hurt me and he wasn’t trying to hurt me. I was frustrated, confused and not paying attention, but after he started talking, I could smell her on him, like I smelled the ones you had been with before we met. He’s never been with anyone but her.” 

“He was talking to you while you were there?”

“No,” Judy blinked as she moved her eyes back to her paws and Nick cringed as she caught sight of the red water they were sitting in. He pulled the chain that plugged the tub with his foot and let the water drain as he gently prodded her to continue. “He was using an old type of Morris code. I learned about it after watching some old video about a prisoner of war. He was blinking it as he was talking in an interview to show how well they were being treated by their captors, but they didn’t know what he was doing with his eyes. He said he was sensitive to light and told our government they were being tortured. I thought it would be a good thing to learn because it was a secret way to talk without everyone else knowing what you were doing. It was a silly thought though. I wasn’t very old when I figured it out. Middle school, I think. I never thought I would see it, or it would be useful, because there aren’t many people who use it anymore.”

Nick sat up and sighed as he pulled his arms around her. “Go back, Carrots. You were chasing her car, what happened?” He cringed as she pulled her arms around herself and rocked back and forth. He let her sway and moved with her as she tried to do something to keep her nerves still. 

“I couldn’t keep the scent after she got in her car and lost them at a train crossing. But when I turned after losing them, they were there.”

“Who was there?”

“Jack Savalde and the vixen who was at the bar. She gave the sheet I filled out to the little ewe before she left. They just sat there in the car and watched me for a minute, but then I….”

“Carrots?” She shivered and he pulled his arms around her before he leaned forward and turned the water on again, flipping the tab on the spout so the shower came on. The warm water rinsed away what was left in the tub and their fur, but didn’t stop her from shaking as he scrunched his nose and curled around her again. “Then what?”

“There was…a smell I picked up and started following…” she shook her head.  
Nick pulled her closer and flipped his tail in front of them. “Chasing? Were you… attracted to it?” he asked with some worry until she shook her head slowly and stared into another void. “Why were you chasing it?”

“I’m not sure. It just, it was wrong. Something about it made me uncomfortable and I wanted...needed to know why. So, I followed it.”

“And?” he asked as she blinked.

“I don’t remember anything else. I have to turn myself in. I think I hurt someone, Nick.”

“I don’t believe that, Judy.”

“WHY?” She asked as she turned to look at him and curled her lip. He smirked and raised both brows as he tipped his nose in an action to make her look forward again. 

She looked in front of them and her eyes grew as his tail laid in her lap. The doe squeaked as she tried to scramble out of the tub, and he pulled his arms around her tighter until she sat huffing under the spray. “I don’t believe it because you have been sitting in the water with me like this for a good ten minutes, both of us in the fur. If you weren’t attracted to the scent you were following, I can’t see you doing anything that would cause harm to someone. Not that I could ever see that happening anyway. You run away every time you get like that with me, but your mind has been somewhere else since you got here. I haven’t seen anything to indicate you changed or would change if it wasn’t something that would ‘turn you on’.”

“Why was I covered in blood?! I could have killed someone or-”

“That doesn’t mean anything if you don’t remember what happened! You can’t just think the worst things that come to mind, Judy!”

“Why are you so set on me not having done something wrong!”

“BECAUSE I CAN’T BELIEVE YOU WOULD DO ANYTHING LIKE THAT! MY MATE WOULD NOT DO SOMETHING LIKE THAT!”

Judy froze as he shook his head in an angry face. “Nick, you’ve seen what happens when I….” 

He tipped her head up after she let it fall to her chest looking at her paws again. “How do you know that you will hurt someone if you’ve never gone any further with someone than just running away when things start heating up, Carrots? You don’t know. You can’t know, if you don’t try to find out.”

“I don’t know! That’s the point! I could hurt you, kill you even and if I did that I would….” Judy looked back at him as her breathing picked up and clamped her eyes shut as he tightened his arms around her and sighed.

“Then let me see, Carrots. It’s the only way either of us will know.”

“I can’t.” She pulled away from him, and he frowned as she looked over her shoulder and folded her arms around her legs. 

The fox watched her carefully as she turned her head under the spray of the shower and smirked as she turned her eyes. “Why not?”

“Nick, I’m not the first person who has had this curse. In all the stories I’ve heard, the one who had it killed their mate, and then died because of a broken heart. Or they left and died because of a broken heart because they lost the one they loved. This kind of magic is so hard to create, and I couldn’t figure out how to reverse it even though I looked through all my grandmother’s books. I couldn’t find a story about anyone who had gotten rid of it without it killing them.”

“Your grandmother? How did this curse even get started?” 

“Do you know about the Greek Gods?” Nick nodded and shrugged at the same time, indicating he knew a little but not a lot. “Foxes were cursed because of Heracules. Zeus was his father.” Nick shook his head as Judy looked at him and nodded. “Most people now a days call him Hercules because that’s what the Romans called him. His children were born foxes, but like their father they had red fur. Every time the spell was cast, a new demon is born to the one who is cursed.” Nick shook his head with a sour face as Judy sighed. “A lot of people thing Hera killed his kits, but that isn’t true. Because Hera wanted to kill Hercules. She talked to Hades and they cursed all his descendants and his whole species. Hera and Hades turned all their fur red. Hades is the devil, so all foxes are red because they were made that way by the devil. They created the curse so that his kits would be seen as devils. That was Hades part of the curse. Hera cursed the rabbits because Hercules mother was a bunny. If any fox ever fell in love with a bunny, they would die at the paws of the one they loved the most. She gave the rabbits that spell, that was her part. The rabbits and the foxes were cursed. The foxes just got the worst end of the deal because Hades hates Zeus. Hera hated the bunny Zeus had a child with, if a fox ever fell in love with a rabbit, the fox would die knowing they had killed the one he or she loved or die because they lost their mate because they couldn’t be together. Even if the rabbit lived, the fox would still die, but many of the rabbits who were cursed chose that same fate. Even if the fox could survive being possessed, Hera created a knife that could kill the demons and the one possessed out of flint. It’s like a crystal but she infused it into a blade made of silver.” Judy cringed. 

Nick looked her over as she shivered. He leaned forward and warmed the water watching her melt under it as it sank through her fur. “You only know what has been written, maybe there are some things that weren’t written. If everyone that has been written about it says they’re all doomed and this curse was meant to keep foxes away from rabbits, this is a little backwards isn’t it? You’re a bunny, so,” Nick chuckled, and she looked back at him glaring. “Either way we’re both dead?” She curled her face up in worry as he scooted forward and wrapped around her again. “Might as well go out in flames trying to find out?”

“Nick! This isn’t a ga – she stopped, her whole-body tensing as his jaw grabbed the back of her neck and pulled the scruff up. 

Nick watched her fall forward on her paws as he lifted to all fours and let go. “No, it’s not a game, Carrots. I thought I should have moved a lot slower than the last time we tried, but under the circumstances we both need answers now, before you go telling everyone you think you did something you have no proof of. You are my mate. There will never be another. You’re the mate fate had me created for. I’ve been waiting and wishing for you longer than I want to remember. I’m not going to run, Carrots. All I’m asking is that you try. I’m dead serious.”

Judy was about to scream at the horrible idiom he had used, but she whimpered as he ran his jaw along the top of her head, and he chuckled silently as her tail brushed across his midsection. She looked back at him and he smirked as she sighed. “Let me see.” There was no denying she was petrified with how she was shaking as he moved again, but she made no objections and stayed on her paws and knees under him when he ran his paw from the front of her neck all the way down her chest. He let go a low growl as his fingers ran over her breasts and was grinning as his paw slipped lower causing her to whine. He latched onto her neck again, listening as she kept gasping for air while he moved his paw around between her legs. Watching closely as her jaws shifted, and even though the scent she was letting off screamed here I am come take me, he lifted a brow as small horns sprang up above each of her eyebrows. Her fur was thinning. He was having a hard time keeping a steady pace going as her voice kept shifting to a deeper sound until the words she had been trying to say were nothing but growls.

Nick moved his paw slowly as her back arched and looked down at her neck, going wide eyed as the vertebra seemed to jump up in a succession of pops. The fox nearly yelped as spikes shot up on the first several that cause him to jerk away and grab the shower curtain. He fell out of the tub becoming entangled in the plastic lined fabric as the growl became a roar and he nearly rolled under the large bathtub as he tried to get himself free. A few harsh breaths and he managed to use a claw to cut through the mummification of the curtain he was wrapped in. He cupped a paw over his muzzle, keeping himself from a horrified scream as two hooves attached to bright red legs stepped out and landed on the floor in front of him, cracking the tile. Each step it took seemed to sear the ceramic tiles as it lumbered around the room. He leaned forward with a curled brow as it seemed to stumble into the walls and crashed into the sink. As it turned, he fought not to gasp seeing the face that resembled something from every horror movie he’s ever watched to shame.

His brow curled looking at the tusks that jet from her lower jaw, the boxy nose was almost overtaken by the nostrils as they flared trying to catch a scent, but it was the absence and void of a feature that caused him to wrestle out of the shower curtain and roll on the floor until he was crawling out of the bathroom. He stood carefully behind it as it kept turning and watched the large horns that had sprouted where her ears had once been, catch the door causing the creature to growl in frustration as its nostrils flared again. She couldn’t smell him. He looked himself over and rethought everything that had happened as he stepped away. He had left his scent on her in the shower or the water had mingled them together so much, the...creature couldn’t pinpoint where he was. He couldn’t call it anything else because there was no specific animal it resembled. It had no fur, which wasn’t the feature he couldn’t take his eyes away from, it was that the creature had no eyes. It looked as if it had never had eyes, the places on its head were hollowed out as if they were meant to be, but the skin over them implied they had never been there. 

He swallowed as it turned and took a deep breath in the direction he was standing before he stilled his nerves and called on every piece of courage he could muster. “Carrots?” Nick was nearly thrown to the wall as the thing roared and held his paws up as it crashed through the bathroom door. He gulped as it stood in front of him with its claws extended as if to cut him in half when they grew in length and took on the appearance of blades. “I-if you have to kill me, I just want you to know I love you. I’ll love you no matter what you do.”

The towering monstrosity than had been in front of him shook its head as it fell back a step and he curled his brow as he wrestled with the fact that his imagination was getting the better of him when he got the impression it blinked with no eyes and seemed to shrink. “Carrots?” he asked again with the same results. He was forced to the wall again as it screamed and held his paws up as if to surrender. The thing hadn’t touched him on either occasion, but the force of its breath was strong enough to pin him to the wall. “No matter what happens, I hope you remember this is not your fault and I still love you, Judy.” This time he saw it. It shrank again and he blinked watching a thin skin slide over where the eyes should have been as it shook itself and stumbled back again. “Carrots? Are you in there?” The creature fell back again as he stepped closer and he twisted his brow as he moved again. Each time he stepped closer it stepped away and shrank. “You’re afraid of me…. Why?” He asked watching it try to keep space between them. His brow rose as it lifted its head hissing at him before it spoke.

“We fear nothing!” 

Nick stepped closer and narrowed his eyes as it moved away again and growled as it extended its claws. When it stepped into a space it couldn’t move from, he stepped closer, biting his tongue as he pushed his luck. “If you don’t fear me, why do you move away? Why don’t you kill me like all the others have their lovers? I’m speaking with what she calls a demon, but I see something more.” 

As it shifted, Nick shook his head as he switched on a lamp. His whole face shifted to shock as he watched the skin where the eyes should have been fall over the blank spaces and open revealing eyes he’d seen before. Lava, burning in the hollow pools that shifted as they watched him moving. “What is the something more you see, fox? We are the only devils in your modern terms and beliefs. Black magic is all we hail from. We answer to no one and do as we please. We possess, we kill, that is our only reason to exist in this world. A demon is nothing to your kind. We burn and long for the spilling of blood before we die!”

Nick tilted his head looking over the creature and let a snide smile cross over half of his lips. “A demon? I don’t think you’re a demon.” The creature curled its lips as Nick stepped closer looking it over again. “You were born because of a curse, you’re part of the bunny I love. I think you are a piece of her that was twisted into something it never should have been. Why do you shrink from me?” Nick asked, smiling wider as the creature hissed at him.

“I will cut you in half!” It raised its claws again and he watched as its eyes shifted. A brilliant flash of purple drowned the glowing red before it shrank back again. 

Nick smiled, sticking his paws behind his back and cupped them together as he leaned forward with a cocky smile. His ears tipped to the creature as he snickered. “What happens to you if she dies?” He turned his head down as the creature glared at him. “You die too? What happened earlier tonight? When she lost track of everything because she was chasing…something.” Its eyes seemed to grow a little bigger and Nick almost stepped back as they appeared to boil in the sockets. “She thinks you will hurt someone, but I think you are part of her, and she won’t let you. So, what were you doing?”

It shook its head and blinked several times, purple and red seemed to flash in odd patterns that had Nick fighting to keep his eyes on it…her, he thought as he stood straight again. “Carrots?” he asked in a gentle voice as he stepped closer.

“Keep away, fox! I will rip you to shreds! I am the color of death and I am red because I was made by the devil and long for blood!”

Nick kept smiling as he shook his head. “Red is the color of anger and frustration. But it’s so much more than the color you think it is. The color of the blood that is life, death would be blacker than the nights sky. Red is the color of fear, a warning, and seen as a message that says stop. It’s the color of passion, desire and love.” She growled as he ventured closer and flinched as he laid his paw on her head. “It is the color of the part of her I love just as much as everything else. I don’t think she could harm anyone and both of you are one and the same. All you have to do is embrace everything you are to be free again.”

“Free?!” She asked snarling as Nick kept petting her head, watching the larger set of horns that had appeared, falling behind her neck as they took on a softer shape he recognized. “I was born to destroy all that lights this world. Not to be a savior from my own brethren. The fires of hell burn in my blood and I shall burn you with them!”

“Then you should burn me so we will burn together.” Nick smirked as it shrank again and looked at him with an angry grimace. “You saved someone last night, didn’t you?” He asked watching her curling her fists. He bent his knees as it grew smaller than his height and moved close enough to move his arms. The thing growled as his arms wrapped around it and he looked down smiling as the pools of lava started to fade. He bit his tongue as its claws snagged the skin on his back. When he made no attempt to move away and wrapped around it tighter the eyes trying to look through him closed as he pressed his lips to hers and closed his eyes. He had heard it on many occasions that a kiss could light a fire, but he’d never actually felt a real heat from one as he smelled his own fur singeing. As the heat ebbed, the thick skin he had his paw pads on shifted and he pulled away slowly, opening his eyes to find a very confused gray bunny looking back at him. She tried to open her mouth, but her eyes rolled back, and he caught her as she lost her strength, chuckling as she curled into his arms and started purring happily. 

He returned a low rumbled as he walked to the bed and laid with her, carefully wrapping around her and petting her ears as she fell into a state that left her breathing softly. He watched the dawn peeking through the curtains and lost the battle to keep his own eyes open as he pulled her closer.  
\---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

A ringing phone was answered as Dawn rolled over and yawned. The large ram beside her in the bed shook his head as the same affliction took him over and caused his mouth to open wide, watching her pick up her phone. “Hello?” Wooler sat up and frowned as she threw on her clothes. “I have to go.”

“Why? It not even six A.M. yet!”  
“I’m sorry, Eric, but this is important.” The ram grabbed his pants and shirt, quickly getting dressed and she stopped, looking at him funny as he turned and shook his head.

“You aren’t going alone, Dawn. I’ve only seen you move this fast when someone was in trouble. The last time was when Doug Ramses was caught.”

“Eric, you can’t go!” He grabbed her phone and she shrieked as he looked over the last number and message she had received.

“Really? I’d like to see you stop me.” He redialed the last call and curled his lip as she tried to take the phone and kept shushing him. “No. She isn’t coming alone. I don’t care what you do, if it’s that much of an issue she won’t come at all.”

Dawn’s eyes grew as he growled. “Eric, stop you don’t know who that is, and I have to-

“That is an acceptable outcome and request. In a few hours. Agreed.” He hung up and she curled her fists as she watched him drop both their phones into a pitcher of water sitting next to the bed for the drinking glasses they had been using overnight. “No phones. No contact with anyone about what is going on, and WE go alone.” 

Dawn giggled as he curled around her. “Thank you, Eric.” They left in a hurry as the sun came over the hills in the meadows district….


	21. One Step Forward; Two Steps Back

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> What Can I Say

Justin Bieber- Love Yourself*

“Nick?”

Nick sighed as he sat up looking over Judy as she slept. “This better be really good.”

“Get to the hospital.”

“What Hospital. Why?”

“I sent you everything in your messages and have been trying to call you for an hour. Swiss is hurt.” Wolford hung up and Nick curled his face looking back at Judy before he grabbed his pants and peeked back at her again as he closed the door and rushed down the stairs….

Jack stood in the door watching the nurses tending the wolf who was in and out of consciousness. The buck turned as Bogo stepped behind him and sighed heavily. “Chief Bogo?” He nodded as the doctor motioned for him to step to the side so they could speak privately. After several tense minutes, the bull walked into the room shaking his head as he looked over Snarlov and fought to keep his expression flat. “He is heavily medicated. I suggest you keep everything short.” Bogo nodded as Jack stayed to the side of the bed. The bull curled his brow when it was Jack the wolf reached for. Skye flinched as she tried to stay out of the way, watching as Wolford arrived. He was listed as Snarlov’s emergency contact. The larger of the two cupped a paw over his muzzle but couldn’t fight off the staggering breathes that overtook him as the smaller wolf smiled at him through all the bandages and stitches covering his face and throat.

His chest was open and completely covered in the bandages wrapped around his ribs. The white wolf in the bed, regardless of the condition he was in was smiling and in an upbeat mood as Jack stepped away letting Wolford take a seat next to him while the nurse wrapped his face. Nick stood outside the door shaking his head as he turned with his eyes spilling over. The vixen watched him walk down the hall and vanish around a corner as Wolford clutched Snarlov’s paws. Chief Bogo nodded as the wolf lifted his other paw to Jack. The buck glanced at Bogo as if asking for permission to speak with him before stepping closer to the bed after a small nod. “Snarlov, this is Agent Savalde. I’ve asked for the bureaus help with this case. He’s also the one who found you last night and called the ambulance.” 

Jack’s ears tipped as he leaned closer, listening to the same things the wolf had told him before. His voice was low and cracked as he tried not to move and Wolford urged him to stay still and not push himself, but Snarlov seemed to be on a mission even though his voice and eyes kept falling lower. Wolford stepped aside as Jack took a seat on the bed with his ears and head tipped to the white wolf. “They call it the Demon, but it wasn’t a demon. It was the Devil. It wasn’t a mammal. It was…”

Wolford’s ears perked as he looked down the hall, and Skye glanced at him as the wolves both seemed to mutter the same thing. “…something else.”

Jack tipped forward letting his ears hang as Snarlov’s voice fell again. The buck blinked as he sat up. Bogo watched Wolford leaving and they left Snarlov to sleep and recover. Bogo looked back into the room and shook his head as Jack rubbed his chin after stepping out of the room. “It’s the same thing he was saying before, except that last bit.”

“Nothing he said makes any sense. What else did he say?” Bogo asked as he returned his attention to the rabbit.

Jack looked at Skye and sighed. “He said…there were two of them. One was the Devil, the other was…” Jack shook his head as Bogo deadpanned him. “He said the other one saved him and injured the other one. That one of them had wings, They were both bigger than him, and the other one jumped almost like it could fly, like it was….” he looked at Skye shaking his head. “I didn’t catch the rest of it, I need to go back and look around the scene, see if I can find anything I missed in the rain.” 

Bogo grumbled as he looked down the hall. “My officers scoured the area. I don’t think you’ll find anything they missed. Wilde says the bunny is coming to see you at the station in a couple of hours. I have a protective detail to guard Snarlov in case the demon tries to finish what he started.” 

Jack looked back into the room and nodded. “She.”

“Say again?” Bogo asked looking at Jack funny.

“That was the one thing he was certain about, even if the rest of what he said didn’t make much sense. He said they were both female.” Jack looked up at Bogo and watched him shaking his head.

“The demon is a female? A female has killed some of the largest predators in Zootopia and is a serial killer?” Jack nodded as Skye cringed. “I’ll make a note of it during the briefing. I suggest you talk to Wilde and Wolford, make arrangements for your meeting.” Jack nodded as Bogo left.

Skye stepped closer watching his nose twitch as he searched his thoughts. His eyes reflected the wondering as they ticked around absently on the floor in front of him. “Jack? What’s on your mind?”

“We still have no clue who the demon could be. No leads, no evidence, there has to be something somewhere. A piece of fur with nothing to identify it with isn’t going to help much.” He sighed as he rubbed his temples. “I’ll tell them to meet us back at the station, Skye. I need some coffee.”

The vixen giggled as she looked down the hall. “You go tell them what’s going on. Meet me out front and I’ll grab a couple of cups downstairs. Bogo is holding a press conference at ten and briefing all the officers at nine, so we have a couple of hours.” Jack glanced at her and smiled before he took off the other direction. “Jack?” He looked back curious as Skye sighed. “The mayor is supposed to be there. We both need to get cleaned up in case we’re on camera again.” Jack chucked as she smirked. 

He left shaking his head and walking down the corridor to a large waiting area where Nick and Wolford were sitting. “Wilde?” Nick shifted in his seat looking at the buck as he sat across from them. “I need a minute.” Wolford nodded and left the area, standing not far off as Jack took a seat. The fox looked him over warily and tipped his head. Jack glanced back at Wolford and dropped his ears. “Where was your bunny last night?”

Jack caught how he was seated. The bags under his eyes and heavy lids, a slouch in his back and almost reluctant sighs indicated he was tired. Nick nearly nodded off as he spoke. “She was with me.”

“All night, after you left the bar?”

Nick looked at him scowling. “You already know she didn’t leave with me.”

Jack smirked as Nick yawned. “I have a few questions I need you to answer.” Nick rolled his eyes along with his paw. “My partner seems to think she’s cursed.” 

Nick looked him over and narrowed his eyes. “Why would you believe a curse is real?”

The buck leaned forward and lowered his voice. “Because my mate is certain it is, and I can’t discount anything after what I saw last night or after what your fellow officer has said.” The fox raised a brow as Jack sighed. “I saw something last night. It jumped over the span of three rooftops and there was no way I could have done that, or even chased it as far and as fast as it was moving. Officer Snarlov said there were two of them, one saved him from the other. You don’t have any reason to trust me, but I need your help and I have a gut feeling on this. Do you have any reason to believe she is capable of killing someone?” Nick pulled his lips over his teeth and Jack chuckled. “A yes or no would suffice.”

“Everyone is capable of killing someone under the wrong or right circumstances. But, no, I don’t believe she would, Agent Savalde.”

Wolford picked up his phone and stepped around the corner. “Wolford.” His ears set as Higgins voice came through the line. “Thought you should know they got a species match on that grey fur you took to the lab from the crime scene. It’s a rabbit. A doe. Nobody is supposed to know that yet.”

“Thanks.” He growled as he tipped his head back around the corner watching Nick and Jack.

Jack nodded as he glanced back at Wolford smiling, at least the fox was using his name and not the one he’d had for a cover. Nick watched Wolford dip around the corner as he stuck his phone to his ear again. Jack leaned closer and lowered his voice. “There’s a knife that is said to be able to kill the demons. It’s called the devils key. It’s at the station…. Snarlov, was that her, your bunny? Is she responsible for him being here?” Wolford’s ears perked as Jack watched Nick glaring at him. He shook his head and went back down the hallway, looking in on the smaller wolf as Fangmeyer curled over her partner. Nick didn’t say anything as Jack raised a brow. “Officer Wilde, I believe your bunny may be on our side. I need to confirm that, so she isn’t the one anyone is looking at. You’re also going to have to trust me if you want to keep her out of trouble.” Nick fought off another yawn and nodded, and Jack was taking advantage of the fact that he was tired, but justified it if it meant finding a killer. “I don’t want her to get hurt any more than you do. Do you know for a fact that she is the reason he’s here? She said something along those lines?”

Nick chewed his lip and sighed. “She didn’t, her demon did.”

“Her…demon?”

Nick shrugged as he leaned back, fighting off another yawn. “I’m not sure you’re going to understand it. But I know she saved him.”

“You are certain of that?” Nick nodded as Jack watched his ears tip. “So, she’s really cursed, possessed?”

“No.” Nick growled as he clenched his jaw. “I don’t believe she is possessed. I believe that anyone who has this curse is so afraid they will hurt someone that part of them is blinded. The more they fight it, the stronger it is. It’s what they possess that possess them if it isn’t accepted.”

Jack rubbed his chin and sighed. “Accepted? Care to explain that?”

Nick huffed as he tried to keep his eyes open. “Love is not blind. If you aren’t careful with it, it can blind you. I think the ‘demon’ is desire. The desire to be loved, wanted, accepted, and possibly arousal. I could say it borders on lust but it can be reasoned with and see things for what they are if someone is patient enough to…No, if someone loves every part of the person who is cursed, even the demon.” Nick shrugged as Jack furled his brow. “We all have the devil in us. It’s how we chose to go about dealing with it that matters.”

“What do you think would happen if they embraced it, instead of fighting it?” 

Nick smirked as Jack tipped a brow. “It would be...interesting.” The buck shook his head as the fox narrowed his eyes. “Embraced it in what way? You think someone else is…” 

“If someone accepted the demons desires, instead of fighting them.” Jack nodded, and Nick made a sour face as he leaned back. 

“That’s what she smelled?” He was looking around the room as Jack tapped his arm, barely catching what he had said in a whisper.

“Smelled?” Jack asked.

Nick watched Wolford shaking his head as he stepped back into the little waiting area. “I’m going to the station. Bogo already left.” Wolford walked away as Nick looked back at Jack.

The fox closed his eyes when Jack cupped a paw over his muzzle looking at his fur a little closer. “Did you singe your fur cooking? Maybe leave the gas on a little too long before lighting something?”

Nick looked himself over and smirked. Jack raised both brows as he shook his head. “I set my girl on fire. Sort of. She got me back though. I just needed to know for sure because she couldn’t remember what happened last night and the only way to talk to her demon was to...turn her on.”

Jack sat back laughing and Nick shrugged with a large grin on his face. “Would you mind explaining things to me on the way back to the station?” Nick looked to where Wolford had been and nodded.

“Bogo called you in on this?” Jack nodded and Nick sighed. “If he trusts you I can, but if I trust you with this and find out different, you and I are going to end up in a locked cell somewhere.” Nick locked eyes with him and Jack smirked.

“I think that’s probably fair considering I’m the same way with my mate. Can I consider this a truce between us?”

Nick grabbed his paw as he extended it and they shook as he stood. “Carrots told me you were trying to keep her safe when I put her in the wrong cell. She acts like she likes you and your wife, or she’s at least indifferent to both of you.” 

Jack chuckled as they walked to the hall and stopped, blinking as Nick looked at him grinning. “Yeah, I told Skye to stay away from her, but she’s got a mind of her own and does as she pleases.”

Nick laughed as they kept walking. “Carrots is the same way. I’ve noticed she can handle herself though.”

“I’ve noticed too.” Jack held up his broken arm and Nick cringed. “This was my own fault. I wasn’t paying attention to her ears, she had them hidden under her hat. That’s not what really caught my attention when we met though.” Nick glanced at him as he pressed the button for the elevator. “Just for a second that day, her eyes turned red. I saw it again early this morning before we found Snarlov.”

Nick looked around holding the door for Jack and sighed. “My partner has some issues with her. I thought last night had ended them. You found Snarolv?” Nick asked as they stepped into the elevator and let it close again.

Jack shook his head as he pressed a button to the basement. “In a way. We were following your bunny. She led us to him. He said the strangest thing.” Nick’s ears perked as he looked at Jack. “Neither of them had fur, skin brighter than crimson fire, horns, hooved feet, claws. One of them had no eyes. The one he says saved him. I’m humoring this because Skye seems set on it, but it’s hard to believe even if you’re backing it up. I still think he may have gotten hit on the head pretty hard and was hallucinating. Hops doesn’t fit the description he is giving in any way at all.” He looked at Nick and watched the fox’s face twist as he raised a brow. 

“You’re like Carrots? You can smell a lie?” Jack nodded as Nick scratched his neck. “You already know Snarlov isn’t lying. The thing I don’t understand is why it attacked Snarlov, how Carrots beat it and how it can see. I don’t know a lot about the curse, but it doesn’t fit what I’ve seen with her.”

Jack rubbed his chin and narrowed his eyes. “What is it that causes the demon to appear?” Nick deadpanned him and Jack chuckled before he shrugged. “Desire is just like any other emotion, it can be twisted into something else, something dark. If this other ‘demon’ found him attractive it would explain….” Jack stopped as the elevator doors opened and tilted his head. Nick held the door open as the rabbit looked off in thought. “Savalde?”

“It’s Jack. We need to take another look at the previous cases.”

“Why?” Nick asked as Jack rushed into the parking area. “There were females, not many but enough to make me wonder if they were seen as rivals.”

Nick looked around seeing the cruiser Wolford had brought already gone. He shook it off and jumped in the back, with Skye tipping her ears towards him as Jack buckled his seat belt. The vixen handed him a cup of coffee and Nick shook his head. “Is this yours?” 

She giggled as she nodded. “It was, but I think you need it more than I do.” 

Nick gave her a look and Jack tipped in the seat looking into the back as he nodded. “It is a little,” Jack looked at Skye as she deadpanned him. “It’s a lot apparent you didn’t sleep much last night. “

Nick frowned as he looked at the cup. Skye tilted the mirror and laughed as he rolled his eyes. “It’s black, Columbian roast, dark brew. There is sugar up here if you want some. I didn’t drink out of it.”

Nick looked at the cup and stuck it under his nose inhaling the scent. “Hmm, she has good taste.”

Jack looked back grinning and scrunched his nose. “Of course she does, she married me.” Nick chuckled as Skye smacked his shoulder. “We do need to find out more about this curse if you both insist it’s real. We should stop by the crime scene from last night so we can look around in daylight.” Skye nodded as she put the car in gear.

“Oh, it’s definitely real.” Nick drained half the coffee and tried to shake his mind awake as Jack kept watching him. 

Jack sighed as he turned in his seat. “Skye?” She looked at him curiously as she pulled from the parking garage. “Do you know anyone that can tell us anything else?” She shook her head and Jack sighed. 

Nick’s ears perked as he looked out the window catching an ad for a baseball field. “I do.” Jack looked back at him and his ears set. “Finnick. He’s been helping Carrots try to control it. But he might beat me to death if I come to his door with the Feds.”

“Control it?” Jack asked as he looked at Skye with a hint of concern. “He’s got a problem with law enforcement?”

“No. He’s got a problem with anyone getting too close to his personal business and he doesn’t like playing by the rules. He doesn’t do anything for anyone if he isn’t getting something out of it for himself…” At least that’s what I used to think. Nick thought as he looked to the side and shook his head.

Jack looked back at him skeptically and held his paws up. “And he’s helping her why?”

“I’m not sure. She’s coming to the station to talk to you anyway. She said she wanted to talk to him before she talked to you.” Jack raised his brow as Nick shrugged. “She said she needed to ask him something, but I have no idea what it was. We didn’t get much sleep last night and we were both tired and in a hurry this morning. She fell back to sleep before Wolford called me and I didn’t want to wake her.”

“Get a chance to ask her about the phone you gave her?”

Nick looked back at him with a slight scowl and Jack held a paw out. “I think I’ve probably been pretty generous with information so far. So why don’t you tell me why you felt the need to put a tracker on my phone?”

Skye bit her lip and choked back a giggle when Jack glared at Nick. “I did not do that.” 

Nick folded his arms over his chest and dropped his head in a condescending tilt as he swirled the coffee in the cup he was holding. “And my fur isn’t red.” He mocked and glanced to Skye when she barked out laughing. “Let me guess, she’s the one who actually set it up. So technically you aren’t lying because you just gave the order for it?” Nick smirked as Jack looked at Skye with a grumpy, over exaggerated frown as she laughed again. The vixen bit her paw and turned her head as Jack rolled his eyes and sighed.

“Exactly how would you have found that out anyway?” Nick shook his head and Jack turned in his seat grumbling. He looked at Skye and narrowed his eyes as she became unusually quiet and stopped laughing. “Skyyyyye?” he asked dragging her name out and she stuck her nose in the air as Nick watched. “You found the Troll, didn’t you? That annoying imp who is always getting into everyone’s systems on the internet.”

She looked at him smirking as Nick laughed. “You call him the Troll?”

Jack huffed and side glanced her after wrapping his arms over his chest. Skye frowned as she looked back to the road. “Don’t be like that Jack. You know I hate it when you pout.” Nick hissed as his eyes watered and Jack turned growling. The fox cupped a paw over his muzzle but fell over in the seat, holding his coffee up as the vixen giggled.

Jack huffed as he shook his head. “Why do you think it’s even the same person we’re talking about, Wilde?” He asked Nick after peeking behind the seat as he sat up and guzzled the rest of the coffee Skye had given him. 

Nick shrugged as he looked out the window. “I know everybody.”

Nick’s ears perked as Skye pulled up to a curb and parked. He looked out the window and cringed at the yellow tape marking off a broad alley and left the car after leaving the empty cup on the floorboard. Jack and Skye both looked around the area and glanced at each other as they turned and caught Nick with his paws on his hips gawking up the side of the building. The buck stepped closer and looked up at the same angle as his nose wiggled and shook his head. “That has to be from some kind of…” He stepped closer to the wall and scrunched his nose as Nick curled his brow. “What the hell could have caused that?”

“What the hell…. Its like they’ve been melted. Hell indeed.” Nick said as he stuck one paw on the brick wall, running his fingers down the melted stones. None of them could come up with any ideas as they made their way back to the car and rode back to the station in silent contemplation.

After getting into the parking area Nick had Skye pull up to his car and asked if she had jumper cables. She popped the trunk and moved the car to get his started after he explained it was dead. “I’ll come back out here in a little bit and turn it off.” He got it running and checked to make sure everything was off on the dashboard before he looked around and caught his and Wolford’s cruiser. Nick stiffened his back as they got into the lobby and ground his teeth as they waded through a host of reporters waiting for Bogo. When he got to the desk, Clawhauser took a piece of paper Jack had given him and Skye left to meet Bogo in the briefing room before they were meant to address everyone. Clawhauser looked over the paper and nodded as he turned and typed a few things in the computer. He handed Jack another sheet and Nick glanced at it nodding as they made their way to a room away from everyone. They both took a seat and Jack claimed the computer in the room, pulling up files. Nick opened the door after a knock and Higgins gave him a large file, shaking his head as Nick thanked him and closed the door.

Jack left all his pages open and moved to the table in the center of the room as he started laying out pictures. The fox cringed as Jack started hanging them up and turned his head as Jack looked everything he’d stuck on the board. “Do you have to look at those like that?” 

Jack turned to Nick and shrugged. “It helps if I can see the whole picture. You don’t have to stay. I’m sure if Wolford were here, he wouldn’t be for long.” Nick glanced at the pictures and turned his head as he stepped closer. “For someone who doesn’t seem to have the stomach for this, you’re getting pretty friendly with it.”

“The names of these victims have never been released?” Jack shook his head as Nick scrunched his muzzle. 

“They were released to the press as homicides, but the details of the cases and how they were connected weren’t shared.”

“You said maybe the females were killed because of a rival? Where are the pictures of their faces?” 

Jack nodded and looked back at the pictures. “It’s the precincts policy not to keep the identities of the victims in with the crime scene evidence or photos. Well, its Bogo’s policy on murder cases. I asked him about it because it didn’t make sense to me, until he explained that most of the detectives were wolves and it kept them from getting too personal with the victims of a case they were working. No face, no name, no connection made. Chief Bogo made a pretty good point out of it. You put a face and a name in with the crime scene photos and evidence, and you aren’t just looking at a case anymore. You’re looking at a person and can lose objectivity. Even if the detectives talk to family members or suspects using a victim’s name it helps.” He looked back at the table shaking his head. “I’m still not seeing a connection.” 

“But I do. This is D.J. One of the first officers killed, the first female.” Jack watched him as he walked around the table and got closer to the pictures. “She was a maned wolf. A wolf who looked like a fox. The last two were foxes?” 

Jack curled his brow as Nick ripped the pictures off the wall and glanced at Skye. “You should get up there, Skye. The press should be getting here soon. See if you can stop by the lab and check on that fur we found in the subway.” She nodded as she stepped out of the room and Jack returned his attention to Nick. “A vixen and a tod, both red foxes and then there’s Snarlov. The pattern changed. Canines, several in a row and the victim in the subway was in more of a public place than any of the others were ever found. We’ve never found any useful evidence at the scenes and neither has the Z.P.D. Except for the first couple of murders they’re nearly identical. We don’t have an identity on the vixen yet.”

“You just said something about finding fur?” Nick asked as he looked back at Jack.

The buck nodded as he looked over the pictures and shook his head. “We’ve found fur at the scenes before, but it was damaged. We couldn’t pull D.N.A. from it, not even from the victims we could identify.” Nick cocked his head as Jack shrugged. “We’ve never been able to figure out why. It’s almost as if it had gotten too-

“Hot?” Nick asked as Jack scrunched his brow. “It was just a guess.”

Jack nodded before he pointed to the pictures again. “You said you saw a pattern? None of the victims were connected that we could see, other than the ones who were police officers, they didn’t have anything connecting them aside from that. How could we have missed one when we’ve looked over this hundreds of times?”

Nick shook his head. “Maybe because it was staring you in the face and a new killer is sloppy. But they learn. This person is methodical. All these victims, look at the wounds.” Jack shook his head as Nick laid them out on the table. He grabbed a pair of scissors and Jack screamed as he cut one in an odd shape. Nick stuck a paw up and shook his head. “I’m sure there are other photos, copies in the files. If all the murders are similar, all of them have the same wounds in the same places, it has to mean something. We just have to figure out what it is. This is the kill zone. She goes for the throat, but not until after she has slashed them a few times, like she wants to disfigure them or something. Usually the face, then across the ribs and chest.” He laid the picture down and cut another one as Jack leaned closer. The rabbits nose wiggled as Nick lined up the marks on each victim and he scowled as they lined up perfectly. “Think you can get me photos of the faces they haven’t identified yet?”

“Yes. Why?” Jack almost asked as Nick smirked.

“I know everyone.”

Higgins knocked and stuck his head through the door. “Hey Wilde? You got company upstairs.” 

Jack looked at the photos and waved a paw as he nodded. “I’m sure that’s your bunny. We can keep going with this after I talk to her, just bring her in.” 

Nick excused himself to the lobby and found Judy hiding from all the cameras. He snickered as she jumped and grabbed his arm like he was the only floatation device from a shipwreck. He glanced up and caught Wolford tip his head to him as they waded through the reporters again and back to the room Jack was waiting in. Nick held a paw out after opening the door and Judy walked in looking around as Jack took a seat. The doe narrowed her eyes and stood at one end of the table and Jack smirked as she grabbed the chair. Nick stepped out and watched through the mirrored window. He snickered when Jack stood, and Judy watched him carefully as he moved closer. “Yep, she’s going to break his other arm.” He tapped on the glass and Jack rolled his eyes as he grabbed both of Judy’s shoulders. She tolerated the little exam he did before he sat back down and shook his head. “You look tired.” She just looked at him and raised a brow. 

Nick looked up and caught Bogo come into the room. The bull cocked his head to the side when Jack grabbed a folder and tossed several pictures on the table. He growled in a low warning as Nick’s hackles rose, but the fox backed down and grit his teeth as Bogo gave him a look that screamed parking duty for eternity if you go in there. He sucked in a breath as Judy leaned forward, retching as she grabbed her muzzle and jumped to a waste basket.  
Jack sighed as he handed her some tissues. “Sorry about that. I needed to know if you were capable of any of this.” She glared at him as she retook her seat. The buck picked up all the pictures and stuck them back in the file. Bogo twisted his forehead as he watched Jack and Judy. Neither of them said a word and just appeared to be staring each other down. Jack looked to the corners and chuckled. “Clever, staying out of the range of all the cameras like you are and not speaking. At least, not out loud.” Judy didn’t react to the statement at all. Nick chuckled as Bogo shook his head and started to leave the room as they blinked at each other.

“Sir?”

“I’m sure Savalde can handle this. I have bigger problems. Mayor Lionheart and the assistant mayor were supposed to be here for the press conference. Neither of them showed up and no one has been able to get in touch with either of them.”

“Have you tried Wooler?” Nick asked.

Bogo rolled his eyes. “Clawhauser did, no answer from him either. I have to get back to Winter and Wolford.” Nick nodded as he left, and Jack stood shaking Judy’s paw. She reluctantly returned the paw shake and watched as Jack opened the door for her. She nearly rushed into Nick’s arms and he blinked as she thumped against his chest. He scowled at Jack and watched the buck smile as he watched Judy closing her eyes and curling around him.

“Carrots, can you give us a minute?” she nodded before he brushed his nose along her cheek and closed the door. He turned sharply and glared at Jack as he leaned against the table and crossed one leg in front of the other grinning. “What the hell was that?!”

Jack sighed as he looked back to the door. “Not proof positive, but pretty close in my book. She got sick just looking at the pictures so I can’t imagine her being able to inflict that kind of harm. You can’t fake that kind of reaction, Wilde. As much as I hate to think what I’m thinking, I’m sure it’s already crossed your mind. If it is an alter ego, something that takes over or a demon?” Nick turned his eyes and looked back to Jack with a heavy frown. “Neither of us need to say it out loud, do we?”

“No. But I did talk to her demon and I didn’t get that impression.” Nick mumbled as he looked back to the folder. “Did you get the names and pictures?”

Jack shook his head. “I should have them pretty soon. I’m waiting for the detective division to send me the file.” He pointed at the computer as Nick nodded. “Want to look again?”

“Not if I can avoid it.” 

“I’ll get the other files on the computer and these back to Officer Higgins.” Jack nodded as Nick reached for the doorknob. “Officer Wilde? I’d really like to see this…Demon. Seeing how she ran to you after the reaction to the pictures I think all you’d have to do is ask?”

Nick pursed his lips and looked back at the door. “If you think I’m asking her to do that, you must think I’m possessed.”

Jack laughed as he motioned to the door. “We all have a line we won’t cross. Can’t say I don’t understand that one.”

Nick smirked as he opened the door. “I’d love to see what your wife said if you asked her for something along the same lines. I wonder if she’d be alright with an audience.”

“Oh, I’m sure she would turn into a demon and I’d regret the request for the rest of my natural life, if I had one left by the time she got done with me. I’ll meet you back in the lobby. I think I should talk to your partner and let him know what’s going on. I need to grab my other half while I’m up there and get her up to speed. I can drop the file off with Clawhauser or give it to Officer Higgins on the way.”

Nick nodded as he stepped out the door and was grinning as Judy curled around him again. Judy watched Jack chuckle as he walked down the hall and looked back to Nick chewing her lip. He sighed as he grabbed her paw and looked around. “Any luck this morning?”

She shook her head and puffed her cheeks. “He wasn’t there. His van is gone but he didn’t lock the place up or anything. I’m not sure he can with the roof the way it is. He didn’t say anything to me about going somewhere, but I don’t remember much about the last time I was there and it’s not like he’d tell me anyway.”

“Yeah, well it’s not like him to give someone the run of his place and take off without saying something or trusting someone enough to watch everything with him gone. He can lock the place up if he wants to. He didn’t say anything about how to control it?” She shook her head and Nick sighed. “What was it you wanted to ask him anyway?”

Judy bit her lip and let her eyes fall. “I wanted to ask him if there was a way we could…Nick? “Do you think he’s in trouble?”

He looked back at her trying to smile until she deadpanned him. “I know I don’t need to worry about him because he’s always taken care of himself, but I think he knows more about what’s going on than he’s been letting on. It doesn’t make any sense that he would just leave and not lock the place up while he’s gone, unless he just made a quick run. Maybe you just missed him this morning. It’s going to be a little while before I can get out of here. Bogo wants me working with Savalde, and with Wolford and Winter fielding the press I’m going to be busy.” He chewed his lip as he looked around. “Jack didn’t say anything about you not leaving or wanting someone watching you. Think you can get out of here again without getting noticed?” She giggled and he leaned over pecking her cheek before he pointed down the hallway. “Don’t go back through the lobby. If you go back down this hallway to the left, there’s an entrance that lets you out through the back doors. With everyone keeping an eye on Bogo and Winter, I doubt you’ll run into anyone that way. Go back and see if you just missed Finnick earlier. Meet me back at the apartment around noon. We can go have lunch together. And Carrots? Be careful.”

“You too, Nick.” He watched her tail as she hopped up the hall and out the doors, barely peeking back at him as she smiled. When he reached the lobby again Bogo was fielding a few questions as Skye tried to get the majority of their attention on anything except the fact that the mayor and his assistant were missing. Jack stood at the desk with Clawhauser, grinning ear to ear watching her work on the fly. She quickly made an excuse and Jack snickered as Bogo almost sighed a breath of relief. Nick stepped next to Jack nodding as the vixen kept grabbing paws from the crowd and changing the subject.

“She’s good.”

“No, she really isn’t.” Jack looked at him licking his lips and Nick laughed as he shook his head. It was Bogo’s odd expression that had Nick’s ears lifting and the fox stiffened as his phone rang.

“You got problems heading your way, Wilde. I couldn’t do anything about it or give any more of a warning than this. I suggest you get out of sight of the cameras. I can see you on the screen I’m watching. Its broadcasting live on ZNN.”

“Duke?” Nick asked as the line clicked and watched as an aardvark in a blue suit stopped and grabbed Bogo. The bull nodded absently looking between Wolford and Nick as they started walking his direction. 

Jack looked up and watched Nick curl his lip as he quickly stepped around a corner, away from the cameras. “You know that guy, Wilde?”

“No. I don’t, that’s the problem.” Nick answered as Wolford stepped past the desk with him, Bogo slipped past several of the cameras as Skye caught a small cue from Jack and redirected their attention. The bull lowered his brow trying not to scowl as the aardvark stepped around the corner with Wolford. Nick’s phone rang and he picked it up after looking at the caller I.D and frowning. “Hello?”

“Hi, Nick.” The fox scowled looking at Jack and his ears pinned back when she giggled. Roxie stood outside the apartment building grinning as Mrs. Beesly frowned at her.

“I’m a little busy right now. What do you want, Roxie?”

The doe sighed as she looked at the bear watching her. “I thought I would give you the chance to change your mind. Come back to the apartment and we can talk.”

“Pfft. Why would I do that? Did you not get the memo?”

Roxie growled as Wolford’s ears set. “Don’t say I didn’t warn you. I told you I’d make you regret it. That bunny you are with has nothin on me.”

“Wow. It sounds like you love yourself more than I ever could. What do you need me for? There isn’t anything you could do to rain on my parade anymore.”

“You’re going to end up alone, Nick. Let’s see how much your new girlfriend wants you when this is over. You’ll come crawling back to me.”

“Not even if hell froze over, Roxie.” Nick hung up and shoved his phone in his pocket as Wolford shook his head. They both looked around the corner watching Bogo talking to the aardvark before they stepped around the corner. Wolford smiled, nodding as Nick shook his head. 

“You have my attention. What is this?” Bogo asked as the long-nosed mammal reached into his suit jacket and adjusted a pair of glasses that pinched over his nose. He held his snout up keeping them in front of his eyes as he looked up and lifted a brow. 

“Chief Bogo, and this is Officer Jake Henry Wolford and Nicholas Piberius Wilde?”

“Yes.” Bogo said sternly as he lifted his head. “If you have business with me or my officers, we should move this to my office.”

“That won’t be necessary, Chief Bogo. I was told to expect your interference. This will suffice as far as our business is concerned.”

“Interference?” Bogo asked as he pulled his glasses from his shirt pocket and looked over the large yellow envelope he had handed him. 

The aardvark looked back over seeing the cameras and smirked. “The timing for this couldn’t have been better. Have a nice day gentlemales.” He left stuffing his paws in his pockets as Wolford and Nick looked to Bogo. Both of them glanced at each other with a twinge as the bull tried to sit on the bench behind him and nearly missed the seat. “Fink fuck.”

Wolford and Nick both leaned forward cringing as Jack raised a brow. The buck hadn’t spent as much time with the bull as his officers but the use of those particular words seemed to send them into a state of instant worry as Bogo adjusted his glasses and looked over the papers shaking his head. He stood and looked around the corner seeing Skye wrapping things up before he motioned to a small office to the side. “Go in and take a seat.” Wolford and Nick were both chewing their lips as he closed the door, with Jack stepping out of the way as he handed them each a set of papers. 

Both canines picked them up and Jack stepped closer as they both shook their heads. “THIS IS A LIE!”

“Wolford and Wilde!” Bogo almost hissed as he looked back to the door. 

Wolford shook his head as Bogo frowned. “I don’t have any choice in my actions under these circumstances for either of you.” The bull said as he looked over the papers he was still holding. “I have to suspend you both pending an investigation.” 

Nick snarled as he curled his fist around the papers. “Every fucking time I think I’m getting somewhere. She’s evil…that rabbit puts the predators they used to talk about to shame. What the hell am I going to tell Carrots? She’s even going to take away - He deflated and tossed the papers before he ran his paws over his ears and stormed out the door.

Wolford nodded as he stood. “This is a crock of shit.”

Bogo watched Wolford leave and turned to Jack, showing him the papers. Jack closed his eyes and sighed. “Damn, this couldn’t be worse timing….”

He rushed out the door leaving Skye and caught the wolf at the parking entrance. “Officer Wolford?”

Wolford turned chewing his cheek. Jack looked out the door as tires peeled. “You were listening earlier? You overheard us talking about her, didn’t you?” 

The wolf nodded and looked out the door frowning. “Part of the conversation, yes.”

The buck ticked his head and sighed. “I have a feeling we aren’t seeing the whole picture.”

“I’ll keep that in mind.” Wolford nodded before he was out the door, lost in thought.


	22. Only In The Heart

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Fire

Nick: Nathan Wagner; Hope/ Lauve; Invisible things/ Air Supply: Making Love Out of Nothing at All

Judy: Tommy Profit ft. Fleurie; In My Blood- Ruelle; I get to love you*

Wolford walked through the parking garage and sighed as he noticed Nick’s car was gone. He looked at the papers again and curled his lip as he paced to his car and tossed them in the seat after opening the door. There was really only one place either of them could go and he drove to the bar trying not to grind his teeth together. He parked the car and watched Nick slamming the door to his before he followed him inside. Ginger’s ears set as Nick walked through the door. He abandoned the table they usually sat at and made for a dark corner of the room. She curled her brow as Wolford walked in shortly after, and he barely shook his head as April started their direction. The doe perked a brow as Ginger tipped her head to the back of the bar and nodded as she took over serving the few mammals that were there that time of the day.

She kept her distance watching as Wolford took a seat across from Nick and kept his voice low. The wolf ticked his eyes to her as Nick covered his eyes with one paw and leaned over the table. He shook his head lowly and she didn’t have to read either of their minds to know it was something bad as she asked the cook to bring out a special order. She waited until Wolford nodded at her before she grabbed the tray that held both plates and two cups of coffee. The fox looked up at her as she took a seat and back to the bar. “Bring me a glass of whiskey would you, Ginger?” The little red panda blinked as Wolford gave her a look and she shook her head as she went back to the bar.

April watched her pull the glass and bottle out, fighting not to cringe as Ginger chewed her lip. “It’s not even noon yet.”

Ginger poured half a glass and nodded. “Which means it must be pretty bad.” The deer watched Nick push the food away and shake his head as Wolford cupped his shoulder and leaned over where his voice was kept low again.

“Nick, you can’t do…. this.” He motioned to the glass and Nick sighed.

“What the hell else am I supposed to do, Fort? It’s not bad enough she managed to screw everything up when she left, now she’s…I’m going to lose Carrots too.”

“You don’t know that.” The fox looked at him in a flat face and scowled as Wolford cupped a paw over his muzzle and shook his head. “Look, I’ll admit I really didn’t like her. But she’s already proven she’s not like Roxie. She came down here, met everyone, even had the guts to go up against me trying to prove herself. If she was willing to do that in front of all these people when being here made her that nervous, don’t you think you’re the one jumping to conclusions this time? You asked me to give her a chance. You can’t quit on her just because you’re worried about what might happen when she finds out, Nick. You have to….”

Nick looked up at him and blinked before he was trying not to smile. “Try?” 

Wolford laughed as Ginger came back to the table and left the glass. “You’re not really going to drink that are you?”

Nick sighed as he picked it up and looked it over. “Yeah. I think I need a little liquid courage right now. But just this one should do it.” Wolford nodded as Nick threw it back and sucked in a breath trying to get his throat cooled off again, pounding on his chest. “I don’t think it’s going to help me feel any different about you and how you got dragged into-

“Don’t do that.” Nick looked up as Wolford deadpanned him. “You aren’t any more responsible for her doing this than what she did when she left, Nick.”

“Well, I hope Carrots is as understanding as you are.” Nick chuckled as he watched Ginger chewing her lip from the bar. “You might want to…talk to Spicey today while you are, sober?”

Wolford tried not to turn in his chair as he cringed. “I was a little… it just shouldn’t have happened.”

“Pfft.” Nick scoffed as he shook his head. “It should have happened a long time ago.”

“Nick, she was upset about you being with Judy and I was upset, we both just-

“You know you’re kind of stupid right, Fort?” Wolford scowled as Nick chuckled and grabbed the coffee on the tray. “She hasn’t been interested in me since she met you. She had a crush on me when I was younger, when her and I went to school together, its why she started coming into the bar after I became a cop. She was never interested in running this place until she met someone else though. School girl crushes aren’t a reason to pursue a career someone was never interested in before, even if it was a family business.” Wolford sat up and blinked as Nick smiled wider. He stood and smacked the wolf on the back as he leaned closer to his ear. “She asked me out because she thought it would make you happy and she knew I would say no. We all do stupid things for love. Why do you think I never said yes? She took over the bar to get and stay close to you. She’s been in love with you for years. Sometimes the hardest thing to see is what’s right in front of you, and you weren’t ready. Do you remember what you said after I became a cop? The first time you talked about D.J. with me here? It was about a year after she started working behind the bar and the night she told her dad she wanted to take over.” Wolford scowled as he tried to recall the conversation. “You said; I will never give my heart to anyone who can’t love red. It was also the night she started saying it was the only color she would ever wear.” Nick sipped the coffee and sat it down before he smacked Wolford on the back and rushed out the door, leaving the wolf sitting there with a dumbfounded look on his face.

Ginger came back to the table and motioned to a chair and he nodded as she took a seat, grabbing a plate she started nibling from when Nick had refused it. April was quick to join them with her own plate after the few people who had come in for breakfast left and the little bar was nearly empty. The cook had taken a break and flipped the sign to closed after Ginger had waved at him. Both girls tipped their ears to Wolford as he pulled the plate in front of himself and scratched his head. “Why was he so upset?” Ginger asked and watched him dip a biscuit in his coffee before he shoved it in his mouth and sipped at the cup.

He looked off in thought trying to find a way to put things delicately and shook his head as he growled. “Because his ex is an underpawed, manipulative, conniving, deceitful, lying harpy from hell and if I didn’t think it an offence to every good Bitch on the planet, I might consider giving her the name.”

“Jake!” Ginger almost gasped as he looked up at her and shook his head. April just sat there with her mouth hanging open as he ticked his eyes between them. “I’ve never heard you talk about any girl like that!”

“Well,” Wolford growled as he picked up his cup and sipped it again before siting it down and looking back at her. “She accused me and him of threatening her while we were in uniform, and since we are both police officers, she got a change of venue on an emergency restraining order on both of us from another district. Which also means that pending an investigation into the allegations we both got suspended.”

“That Bitch!” April spat and slammed her paws over her muzzle as Wolford looked at her and shook his head.

“That’s not the half of it.”

“What the heck could she do that was worse than that?!” Ginger asked.

Wolford tried not to curl his lip. “Nick never had her name removed from the lease on the apartment and they rented the place as a couple when they moved in. He used all the money Judy won betting on the wildfire challenge between us last night to pay Mr. Crowley a little over three months’ rent this morning before we went to work. Judy’s family just refurnished the whole apartment, and I’ve never seen it look like that. I guess they have a farm out there and stocked all the cabinets and refrigerator too. She used the address at the apartments as her address on the restraining order, so she has an apartment Nick and Judy have paid rent on and neither of us can go within five hundred feet of the building, or anywhere she is. Mr. Crowely said Nick was in violation of his lease for moving someone in under a subletting contract and sided with Roxie. He signed the complaint and helped her get this done to get the cops and a fox out of his building.”

“Gods that doe is-”

“Yeah.” Wolford sighed as he looked at the plate on the table. “I’m not really hungry anymore. Thanks, Ginger. But I think I need to go try to make some arrangements for us to find somewhere to stay for a while. It doesn’t look like this is going to be resolved anytime soon.” He half chuckled as he shook his head. “I want to go check on Snarlov and see how he’s doing too. The funny thing is that none of this is funny. The last time she was there at the apartment Judy is the only reason she didn’t get the chance to slap him. I almost wish she had let her because then we’d have proof on the- Wolford sat straight and his face fell as he jumped from the table. “I have to go. I think I know how to fix this.”

He rushed to the door and Ginger asked April to lock everything up for a few hours. The doe nodded as she grabbed the plates and took them back to the kitchen. Ginger rushed after Wolford and grabbed him at his car. “JAKE!?” He turned as he opened the door and watched her pull a small envelope from her pocket handing it to him. “Give this to Judy, would you?” He nodded as she let her eyes fall. “Fangmeyer told me she was the one who figured out why Nick calls Clawhauser Benji. That pool has been going for years, maybe it will help them.”

Wolford snickered as he looked at the envelope. “I’m glad they didn’t have this before. There’s no telling how much of it she would have ended up with one way or another.”

“Jake, about yesterday. I just wanted to say I’m-

She looked up in shock as Wolford grabbed her around the waist and smiled. “Why did you ask Nick out?” She shied her eyes and her ears turned brighter than if she’d painted them. “You weren’t asking because you were interested in him, were you?” He sighed, smiling softly as she looked up at him gulping. “What time are you opening back up today?”

“Around four. I’m not busy enough for twenty-four hours yet. April is helping me hire a few new people and Tonya has been closing at night. I just have a few things that need a little more attention in the bar first.”

“I’ll be back, Ginger. I think there are a few things I‘d like to pay more attention to around here too.”

After a kiss that left her swaying, Wolford chuckled as he got in his car and drove a few blocks back to the precinct. Ginger cupped a paw over her mouth and closed her eyes, trying to keep the feeling on her lips before she jumped up and down a few times, screaming praises to Gods who had finally heard a long unanswered prayer.…..

Judy had searched the city for hours, going as far as climbing several places she could get a good scent on the air. No matter where she searched, she failed to locate the scent of the fox who had been trying to teach her how to control the demon she had been stricken with. After another heavy sigh she turned catching the time on a bank advertisement, making a hasty decline and was rushing towards the apartment to meet Nick for lunch. She slowed huffing and stopped, watching the small bear Nick had introduced her to the day they had gone to the dentist. It was the frazzled state and grumbling that caused her ears to rise as she stepped closer and curled her brow. “Mrs. Beesly?”

The little bear turned, and Judy’s face fell as she held several pictures from the box she had dropped into her trunk. She tried to shove them in and latch it, but Judy jumped forward and she sighed as the little doe glared at her. Her brows went up as she caught the little red book she had made for Gideon when they were still in high school. “Why do you have these?” She asked accusingly and let her ears fall as the bear in front of her deflated. 

“I watched that girl go in and start carrying things out to the trash. I didn’t think he would want to lose them again.” 

Judy looked back to the building and scowled as Roxie stood by the door. “What is she doing here?” She hissed as Mrs. Beesly grabbed her shoulder. The dark furred doe walked to them smirking as the bear closed her trunk and kept one paw on Judy’s shoulder.

“I live here. My name is on the lease, yours isn’t.” Roxie grinned in a creepy fashion as Judy’s whole body tensed. “Tell Nick he can come back when he rethinks his recent choices in females. I might keep him around just to have someone washing my clothes or something.” 

Mrs. Beesly grabbed Judy by both shoulders as she tried to shoot forward and shook her head. “You can’t do anything to her.” She pointed to the door where Mr. Crowley was watching with narrowed eyes.

Judy dropped her ears and curled her lip. “If it is the last thing I do I am going to-

Mrs. Beesly cut her off and Judy glared at her as she fought the urge to clamp her teeth over the paw that she stuck in front of her mouth. Roxie looked back to the door beaming as Mr. Crowley kept watching. “I would have made sure you couldn’t have come around too if I had known your name. I couldn’t really put it on the restraining order without it though.”

“Restraining order?” Judy growled as Roxie giggled.

“You should make yourself scarce so we can have a word alone, unless you want me to add you to the list too.” She pointed to Mrs. Beesly and the bear sighed as she turned her back on the doe and faced Judy.

“Listen to me, Judy.” Judy clenched her teeth and tried to keep her foot from slamming through the sidewalk as Mrs. Beesly ticked her eyes in a fashion that made her head tilt curiously before she nodded. The bear lowered her voice as Judy leaned forward. “He has lost a lot in the last few years; she is doing everything she can to make sure you are on that list too. If you do anything to her, she will win. You go to jail and Nick is alone, with nowhere to go.” Judy blinked as Mrs. Beesly stood and stepped to the side before walking back to the apartment building. She was gone behind the door as Roxie smirked again.

“Well, what is it you think you’re doing. Judy, is it? Not Carrots?” Judy looked to the side and chewed her lip as she shoved her paws in her pockets. “You were so willing to fight for him before? Don’t want him anymore now that he doesn’t have somewhere for you to stay? Doesn’t have a job and can’t pay the bills?” The blue-eyed doe giggled as Judy shook her head. “You didn’t know? If an officer threatens someone while they are in uniform, they lose their job. He’s not so appealing now, is he?”

“He never threatened you!”

“You’ve been with him ever second since you met him?” Roxie asked and Judy looked back to the apartment watching Mrs. Beesly watch from her window. “Give him a message for me. Tell him I will make all of this go away if, he comes back and gets rid of you. There’s no reason you should want him now anyway, not when he doesn’t have anything anymore. I already told him he’d end up alone.”

Judy looked between Mrs. Beesly and the ram at the door watching, before she smiled. The other doe looked at her blinking when she scrunched her nose and nodded as she stepped back again. “Thank you.”

Roxie blinked before she was grinning. “I knew you wouldn’t want him if he didn’t have anything!”

“Actually,” Judy smirked as she started walking away and turned back for a brief moment to wave. “You just made it a whole lot easier for me to prove to him it’s not why I want him!” Mrs. Beesly giggled as Roxie looked back at her scowling and turned, watching Judy running the other way.

Every foot that fell in front of the other hit the ground harder than the last step as Judy’s heart raced faster with each breath she took. Nick’s car finally came into view, in the last place she’d expected to find it after she picked up his scent. Sitting in front of the old building where Finnick had let her bury herself under mulch. She stopped and swallowed as she tried to catch her breath and cringed as the wind blew around the corner she had stepped from.

She stepped to the car on the passenger side, carefully and tapping on the window. Tilting her eyes as Nick cupped both paws over his eyes. She waited until he reached for the door handle and stepped around the door as he cleared his throat. “Hey Carrots. I’ve been looking for you everywhere.”

She nodded and chewed the inside of here lip as he smiled and sighed, turning his head out the window as he sniffed. She wasn’t going to say anything about what he’d been doing before she arrived, or how he was trying to hide it as his voice cracked and head dropped. “I…there is something I need to tell you. Your family brought everything to the apartment but after I got to work today I…” He shook his head and looked out the window as Judy reached for his paw. When he pulled away, she frowned as he looked at her with glossy eyes. “Carrots, I lost the apartment, and everything in it. I can’t take care of you, and don’t have anywhere to stay. I lost my job because she said that me and Wolford had threatened her as police officers and we both got suspended until the investigation is over.” She looked off in thought shaking her head as she scowled. “I know you deserve better and can’t blame you if you want to go home or find someone else.” When he turned away with tears falling, she jumped over the seat into his lap and he gasped as her head rolled under his chin. The sound of her making a noise that resembled something between a vixen rumbling to her mate and a cat purring almost made him chuckle as he shook his head and curled his arms around her.

“I’m not giving you up for anything, Nick. I prayed for you too, a long time before we met, I still can’t believe you are real sometimes and I don’t love you for the things you don’t have. Its everything you are, who you are, all you have inside that I love. I will never leave, as long as I get to love you.” She got a little louder with the sound she was making as he huffed several times trying to hide that he was crying and pulled around her in a tighter embrace. When she finally sat up pulling their faces together, he smirked as she raised her brows.

“Everything inside me?” She nodded as she scrunched her nose smiling. “I’d like to put everything inside me, inside you.” Her head flew back laughing as he tilted his head to the side grinning and bouncing his brow. He sighed as she cupped his face again. “I have no idea what we are going to do or where we can stay.”

He watched her curiously as she hopped to the other seat and opened the door. When she went fishing around under the seat and pulled out the phone he’d given her and his credit card, Nick blinked as she handed him both of them. “You, they’ve been here the whole time?”

She nodded as he chuckled. “Does the phone have a thirty-day return on it?” 

Nick nodded as she smiled wider. “I don’t know how much it cost you but take it back. As far as where we can stay, I know a place. I’m sure the landlord will give us a good deal, but first…is there a thrift store anywhere around here?”

Nick nodded as he looked at the card. “Do you trust me?” He nodded again as she bounced in her seat smiling at him. “How much money do you have?”

“I gave almost everything to Crowely this morning towards the rent.” He sighed and let his shoulders fall as Judy reached into her shirt and pulled out the money her parents had given her. 

“Don’t worry about it. Take me to that thrift store and drop me off. You can take that phone back and come pick me up when you’re done, OK?” Nick blinked as she leaned over the seat and pressed her lips to his cheek. “Trust me. I know what I’m doing.” He puffed his cheeks out and started the car, driving her to a local thrift store. When he pulled up in front of the store and she handed him twenty dollars his face fell as she opened the door and pointed to the dash. “If you don’t have any cash, try not to use your credit card too much unless you really need to. Stop and get some gas, put all that in the tank. I’ll be waiting for you when you get back. And Nick, if you don’t have a car charger for your phone you should get one while you’re there.” He sat there stunned as she got out and shut the door. Nick shook himself as she tapped the hood and waved at him before she was through the doors. He sat there for a minute watching her as she grabbed the attention of one of the workers, and she slipped out of his sight following an older Panda through the aisle. 

Luckily, after filling up the car when he arrived at the phone store, it was the same person who had sold him the phone. The animal was one of foreign birth and Nick had talked with him a few times. It was still a little shocking to speak with a small deer who had antlers and predatory teeth that looked like they belonged to a long extinct tiger. A water deer, he thought was what species he’d said he was once. He would never be able to pronounce, let alone spell his name, so he tried to keep the conversation simple as the little deer laughed. Nick kept his comments to himself about how his culture had different views on things, but wasn’t complaining, considering he gave him a full refund without a fuss because he seemed to believe the gift he had bought for a potential mate was refused. The sympathy in the misunderstanding led to a quick exchange and all he had to do was sign some papers after the deer looked at the phone and saw it had never been used. He purchased a car charger and drove back to the store, looking around for Judy as he plugged it in. More than an hour had passed since he’d left, and after an hour of waiting he wandered into the store looking for her. When he couldn’t find her anywhere, he went to the panda he’d seen helping her. The large male shook his head and told Nick she’d left shortly after she had purchased a few things.

Nick went to his car and sat for another ten minutes before he let his head hang and closed his eyes with the worst thoughts possible running through his head. He was almost in tears when the door jarred open and curled his lips up, ready to scream until she stuck her head in far enough for him to blink back the extra film in his eyes. 

“Nick?” She asked as he grabbed her arm and pulled her into the car. She squeaked and giggled as he rolled his cheeks over hers, rumbling while her feet barely kept the door from closing across the seat. She looked up at him laughing as he pulled back enough to look at her. “Can you open the trunk for me?” He nodded with a scrunched nose and opened the glove box, pressing a button for the release. When he glanced back to the open trunk his face fell as Judy slipped back out the door. He left his seat and stood with a confused face as a large badger and an ox stood behind the car holding enough that he did a double take as they started sitting boxes down. Judy stepped around them with a few things he’d had in his trunk and shooed him out of the way as she sat them in the back seat. She made quick work of getting everything in the back of the car after a brief introduction. He shook his head as she hugged them both and thanked them before they both shook his paw and left with a curt nod. “Come on.” He shook off the wonder as he slipped back into the car and looked at her. “We need to go to the rainforest district.”

“O.K?” He asked as she leaned over and laid her head on his shoulder. 

“Just get us there. I’ll give you directions.” 

Nick pulled back onto the street and kept ticking his eyes to her as he drove through several districts. By the time she had given him directions he was shaking his head. “There isn’t anywhere in Zootopia I don’t know, Carrots. This is the ritzy part of town. I don’t know who you think is going to rent anything to us with neither of us having a job or money for a deposit and…Sigh.

He pulled onto a road she had pointed to a small path, and curled his brow as they passed several large trees. The dense forest was closing in around them and he was beginning to get nervous about the car getting stuck somewhere as the road kept fading from under the car. He pulled to a stop and Judy dropped her head giving him a stern look. “I’m not getting the car stuck in here, Carrots.”

“Nick, I need you to trust me and drive right around that little tree over there.”

“There are no little trees here.” 

“Please?” He rolled his eyes in frustration as she bit her lip. 

“I really hope I don’t have to use all the money I got back from the phone to have someone tow my car.” He pulled forward and cringed as the tires rolled over wet patches of earth and jumped over vines that had fallen. Judy sat up as he turned the car, curving around a large tree, where everything changed. Nick hit the brakes and threw the car into park with his jaw falling. 

Judy giggled as he looked around. “You didn’t know about this place, did you?” He narrowed his eyes with a sneaky smirk as he shook his head. The car sat on a plateau, hidden by the vines they had driven through. The tree they had come around was hollowed out at the bottom, with a large enough opening that it looked like a cave. Little orange flowers with bright yellow centers were dotted around the ground and hanging from the vines they grew on. Nick opened the door and looked around, missing Judy crawling over his seat and getting out behind him. She watched, grinning when he cupped a paw over his muzzle shaking his head. His eyes were stuck on the waterfall that was draining into the pond and the lilies floating on the water when Judy curled her arms around his back. “They call it The Haven.”

“They?” He asked as he leaned back catching her scent as her arms stayed wrapped around him. “We shouldn’t be here. We have no idea who owns this place and we could go to jail for trespassing.” He looked over his shoulder scowling when she giggled.

“I know the owner and so do you. I’ve been in Zootopia for a few months. The homeless people here are like a pack. They all stick together and help each other or someone new. Some places are more secret than others. This is one of them that not many people know about.”

“I know everybody, but I don’t know who own this, Carrots. So how do you know about it, and who owns the place?” He turned with worry and Judy shook her head. 

“I didn’t know, until today. I ran into one of the guys I met when I first got here and asked about the best place to go. When he asked why, I didn’t want to tell him much, but he laughed.”

“You said you knew a place we could stay but just found out about this place.” He gave her a glare as she giggled and nodded. “You have some explaining to do. Laughed?” Nick asked as Judy bit her lip and sighed.

“He knew you and I were together. He thought I wanted to take you somewhere on a date. When I told him that wasn’t why I was looking he got a little upset. I had to tell him we were both out on the streets until we could find some where to stay.” Judy cringed as Nick turned his head and stuck his paws on his hips. “Nick, this happens to a lot of people, and he said he owed you.”

The fox looked back at her and gave her a funny look. “I don’t know either of the guys you were with, not on a personal level, or what you were doing with them.” He was sporting a heavy disappointed frown as Judy pulled her ears back and shied her eyes.

Nick lifted his head watching her and a small smile started as she ticked her eyes back to him. “What?” she asked with a worried face.

“Nothing.” He chuckled as she kept her head low and ears back. The way her ears laid, half-way between upright and against her back, and the way she was holding them rigid against her head was indicative of what a vixen would do with her mate if he was upset. It was a submissive gesture Jack had told him rabbits didn’t possess, as rabbits were equals in a relationship and had cues for danger, but other behaviors varied between couples. This was a predator thing. There was no way he could tell her what she was doing without upsetting her. “So, who was the guy that said he owed me something?”

Judy lifted her ears a little as he lifted a brow. “His name is Danikun. He said that there had been several times you helped him when he was in trouble.” Nick curled his lips as he chewed them and rolled a paw for her to continue. “He said that he almost got arrested when he was trying to steal toilet paper, and some groceries. That you bought it and let him go. He has really long fur and horns. Tall and kind of skinny for his species.” 

“That describes half the bovine species in Zootopia, Carrots. You’re going to have to be more specific.” Nick looked around in thought but couldn’t recall anyone specific recently, or in the past for that matter who fit the description.

Judy stepped closer and raised her ears a little more as he looked back to her. “He said that happened twice. But the last time he saw you on the streets, you gave him something that changed his life. He wouldn’t tell me what it was, but he said you told him no matter what else happened, never let them see they get to you and he wished he could remember everything.”

Nick’s face fell and Judy’s ears lifted. “That was…. years ago. I had only been a cop for a couple of years.”

“Well he remembered you. Do you remember what you gave him? He sort of runs things and…helps the homeless people in Zootopia.”

Nick chuckled as Judy looked around. “Yeah, I do now. His hair wasn’t like it is now. He was straight cut and overweight at the time. I didn’t think he would take it that far though.”

“What?” Judy asked with perked eyes.

Nick laughed as he looked around. “I told him to be himself, be comfortable in his own skin and everyone else should be too. All I really gave him was some advice. I’m glad he got out of trouble and found himself. Everybody calls him Yax now. He talks constantly. The next time you see him you should give him some bunny scout cookies.”

Judy’s eyes went solar as Nick laughed. “DANIKUN! HE GOES BY YAX? Oh, my gods- he’s the guy from that place!”  
“The naturalists club? Yes, he is, you were too busy trying not to look at anything to see him and burying your nose in your shirt to notice him though. So, what is this place for? It’s not like we can live here, Carrots.”

Judy jumped back in the car and he leaned over watching as she popped the trunk. She held up a finger and Nick waited until she got back in the passenger seat, curious about the items she had pulled from the trunk. She waved him into the car, and he sat in the driver’s seat closing the door as she waved to it. When he looked back at her she sat up in the seat and made him chuckle as she made herself appear ‘prissy’. “He said we could stay as long as we needed to because you’ve helped out a lot of mammals he knew. So, Mr. Wilde, how much are you renting the property for?”

Nick curled one side of his lip and looked at her sarcastically as she sat up a little more and waited. He opened his mouth and closed it as she pulled up a wooden tray she had sat next to her seat. “Look,” she smirked as he watched her sit it between the seat after pulling the legs out. “It has a cute little dining room. I know the skylight is going to make the rent a little higher, but that’s ok, because would you look at that view?”

Nick looked out the window and back to her with glossy eyes as she folded the tray up and sat it beside her seat. “It has three bedrooms and that is so hard to find!” Nick shook his head as she laid her seat down. She shrugged as she looked around. “The first three are a little small, but that’s ok, because it’s for a single couple anyway. Come look at the bigger bedroom!” She jumped into the back seat and he looked back at her swallowing as she smiled. 

“You’re just trying to get me in the back seat, aren’t you?”

“Yes, yes I am.” Judy giggled and wiggled her whole body as she bit her lip and motioned with one finger to join her. Nick chuckled as he climbed between the seats and was laughing as he finally flipped in the seat. His eyes went wide as she grabbed his tail and pulled it over her lap. “And look! It has a built-in heater and blankets if it gets too cold!” He laughed as she grabbed his arms and pulled them around her, acting like he was the blanket. He rumbled as she ran her head under his chin and chuckled as she pulled away pointing at the windows as the wind rushed through the car. “Air conditioning!” Nick laughed as she flipped the seats down. “See, there’s even a place to store our clothes! Built in dressers!” She pointed under the seats and to the pockets on the back of them. He shook his head as she leaned up and opened the door. “Come on you have to see the rest!”

He followed her out the door and around the back of the car where his jaw dropped again when she pointed to the trunk. The inside had been lined with blankets, and a few small throw pillows. Two small battery-operated lamps hung from the open holes in the top of the trunk and she lifted the blankets as he investigated the trunk. “There’s a pop-up tent under here if we need it.” She pointed at a small folding table and the lawn chairs tucked into the sides of the trunk out of the way. She flipped on an old radio that required batteries and stepped back, dropping the clothes from the top of the trunk. “The radio is so we’ll have music and won’t drain the car battery.” She held out a basket she plucked from the back of the trunk and Nick shook his head as she opened it. “I got us dinner too.” He looked up as she sat it down and pulled down the hangers that held several shirts and pairs of slacks as he stepped closer and grabbed the first set. Several dress shirt and ties, along with kakis attached at the back of the hangers. “I know they’re ugly but I’m pretty sure they’ll fit you, and they’re clean. Things might seem dark right now, but there’s always a light at the end of the tunnel, Nick.” 

Nick turned and her face fell as his eyes crested over. He threw his arms out and shook his head. “No one has ever bought me…. You bought all these things and….my car is what you think is a good home? Not if the light is an oncoming train, Judy! Look at me, I’m just a train wreck! How can you be happy with this? How can you still want to be with me and…see things the way you do? You can’t make love out of nothing. Do I have to scream? What’s it going to take to get this through your head? Life isn’t like some sentimental bumper sticker that says live on a dream where everybody sits around singing Kumbaya! You can’t live on love! You’ll starve or freeze or - UGH! You can’t be anything but what you are and I am- ….” 

“What did she say to you?” Judy stepped closer and he grabbed her paw as it landed against his face, watching the doubt that had been planted taking root as she smiled and shook her head. “You are more than what everyone sees. You are more than one thing, we all are. Look at me. You can live a lifetime without love, but you will never live. Your heart may still beat, but the rest of you will starve. I know. Home isn’t a place, Happy isn’t a place, Love isn’t a place. Money can’t buy these things, and everything is what you see it as, Nick. What you make of it. I will make it all these things, as long as I’m making it with you.”

Nick snatched her and pulled her under his chin. He let out a heavy sigh and cleared his eyes as she nudged under his jaw, leaving her scent all over him again. “I’ll keep the inappropriately timed and in bad taste joke about making it with me to myself.” 

Judy’s head fell back, and she laughed as he looked at her smirking. “Do you always do that? Try to deflect when it’s a subject you don’t want to talk about?”

“No. But I do wonder if that’s ever going to happen.” Judy looked to the side and sighed before she pulled away. “Carrots?”

She walked away and he took a few steps, and he froze as her shoulders peeked over the back of her shirt. She looked back at him smiling as she let it fall to the ground. Nick’s eyes wandered as her jeans fell. She turned back to him chewing her bottom lip and smiling as he kept looking everywhere. When he found her eyes, she shied them as she took a breath. “I’m scared of that. I don’t know what would happen if we tried, because I don’t want you to get hurt. But I do know water is probably the best place for us to try.” 

He tipped his head to the side as her feet landed in the pond and nodded. “You remember?”

Judy shook her head as she took another step back. “Not really. I remember the sound of something hissing and the smell of singed fur. I can still smell it on you.” He cringed as she wrung her fingers together. “If something bad happened and you don’t want to try that’s ok too. I know if you play with fire, you might get burnt. I can’t keep it from happening when it’s in my blood. I’m not sure I…. if I can be enough for you if we can’t be together.”

Nick walked to her slowly as she kept peeking at him. “It wasn’t something bad. I think it was a good thing. I can take a little singed fur if it means I have you. I know when to back away if things get too hot. Either way, you will always be enough, Carrots. I don’t see how you can think otherwise when I have nothing to offer you.”

Judy watched his feet step into the water and stepped closer to him, gently pulling his shirt. He grabbed it keeping her from undoing the buttons and cringed. “Nick?” he looked down at her and they both looked between each other’s eyes as she tipped on her toes, nearly touching her lips to his. “You- aren’t nothing. I thought you said you weren’t afraid of me?” Nick sucked in a breath and closed his eyes as she extended the motion of running her jaw all the way along the length of his. “Let me see.” His shirt was pulled off and he lost himself to her as they wrapped around each other and let the proverbial flames engulf them both…….


	23. Split Halves/ Burning Bright

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Two for one special

Judy: Tommee Profitt Feat. Brook; Here I Am/ Pat Bennetar: Love is a Battlefield

Nick: One Direction; Night Changes

Dawn pulled past the long stretch of road looking up at the massive building and bit her lip. “Why here?” she asked looking around. The little ewe’s face dropped as a much larger car caught her eyes and she parked, jumping out before she was running to the vehicle with Wooler close behind. 

“Bellwether?” Dawn turned and ran as Loinheart rushed over the bridge. “What the hell are you doing here?!”

“I came to-

A thump that caused both their feet to vibrate turned them and they both gaped as a large red skin, winged beast dropped its head grinning at them. “Oh look, my lunch delivered itself!”

“RUN!” Wooler screamed as Lionheart grabbed Bellwether and took off in the only direction that wasn’t blocked by a six-foot wingspan. Back towards the doors to Cliffside….

Nick fanned his fingers out in the water and watched Judy panting as she clung to the rocks along one side of the little waterfall. The doe hefted herself up on a ledge under the spray and buried her face in her paws before she let her head fall. He sighed as he swam closer and joined her, keeping them a foot apart as he brushed his fingers over her ears. “I’m sorry. Nick. I’m not exactly what you bargained for.”

The fox chuckled as she looked back at him. “Carrots. It’s not that big a deal. It’s not like you aren’t trying. I still think you’re worried about something that isn’t going to happen. I’ve seen you change. You didn’t seem interested in tearing my throat out.” She looked back at him glaring before she sniffled and he scooted closer, listening to the water sizzling against her each time it hit her fur. “Look at the bright side. If we ever get someplace that has a pool, I’d have my own personal sauna and heated baths.” She looked at him giggling and he ran his thumb down her cheek as she sniffled again. “Maybe you should let me talk to your other half? I don’t think it would take much to get her out here again.”

“You know I think you’re crazy? I’m pretty sure I did mention something about playing with fire and getting burnt before.” 

Nick laughed as he curled around her, letting her lean against his chest as they both looked over the water. “Says the girl who turned my car into a ‘mobile home’.

Judy laughed as he rested his head on hers. “That was a terrible joke.”

“You should get used to that. I’m well known for bad taste in them. My taste in females has changed though. I picked a good one.”

Judy looked back at him and scoffed. “Thanks for making me sound like a booger.”

Nick laughed and looked off as she narrowed her eyes on him. “You can’t be a booger. I’m way too old to want to eat one.”

“Eww! You nasty fox!” She blinked at him and he fell back laughing. 

“I tried to warn you about the jokes!” He sat up and shook himself, trying to get some of the water out of his eyes. “You really should let me talk to your other half though.”

“Talk?” Judy asked as she rolled her eyes. “You want to talk to a demon? Like you can reason with it?” 

“I did the last time. I’m not sure talking was what she was thinking about though.” Judy looked back at him and curled her lip. “You’re jealous, aren’t you?”

“NO, I AM NOT!”

“You are!” He chuckled as he leaned up on one elbow and smirked. “You really shouldn’t be, Carrots. I’m a little curious about how you ‘both’- he air quoted as he sat up, “keep talking and acting like you aren’t the same person. That may be the reason you can’t get on the same page. She really doesn’t have the parts for you to be jealous anyway.”

“What?” Judy asked as she curled one side of her lip up and watched him sit up in a heavy sigh.

“Female is obvious because the demon does have breasts, but as for everything else, there is a significant lack of definition in other areas. As in there is nothing there.”

Judy stood up frowning and narrowed her eyes. “You were looking!”

He laughed as he got to his feet and stepped closer, looking down at her as she glared at him. “And you are jealous. I really didn’t have much of a choice. I got rolled under the bathtub when I tried to keep myself from becoming a fox cabob on the spikes that grew from your back. The only way I could look was up. But, don’t you think that is even more of a reason to let me talk to her again? The more we can understand about this, the easier it might be to fix it. I’m not supposed to talk to anyone about cases, but seeing as I’m not technically a cop at the moment, can you at least tell me what it was you smelled and were chasing after the other night? Savalde said there were two of them from the eyewitness, but we didn’t have much luck finding anything at the scene. No one ever has.” He wasn’t about to tell her who it was who had been injured if she didn’t know yet.

Judy chewed her lip as Nick raised both brows. “It’s hard to explain. It wasn’t really a smell. It’s more like, there was an absence of a scent. It’s not hard for me to get overwhelmed with the scents of so many mammals around. I’ve heard that there are some other mammals like that too, but it was like, there was something there, blocking all the other scents around it? The less I could smell the closer I knew I was getting to it. Like everything in that place had been…”

“Sterilized?” He asked and Judy looked up at him nodding slowly. He actually thought it made a lot of sense considering that her body temperature seemed to go through the roof before she had changed, and he could still see the spray from the water fall hitting her fur causing steam to rise.

“Sort of? Except there wasn’t the smell of anything that had done it. No cleaners or bleach. Just heat, maybe? I couldn’t smell other mammals, the cars in the city, not even the trash cans I remember running by that night.”

“Or the blood?” She shook her head as Nick sighed. “Hmm.” He hummed as he bit his lip. “Can I talk to her again? Please, Carrots.” 

Judy turned looking at the car and frowned. “Your phone is ringing, Nick.”

“It can wait. This is more important than whoever that is. I really want to see her again. She’s almost as attractive as you are. It will be fun getting her out here again?”

Judy looked back at him angrily and he chuckled. “It’s not going to be as easy as you think it is because I’m-

“Jealous?” he snickered as she growled. 

“ANGRY! I hope she eats you.”

“I hope she does too.” He looked down and her smirking and she punched him in the arm. “Ow!” He brushed her ears back and tilted forward still smiling. “You know you love me.”

Judy puffed her cheeks out and sucked in a deep breath as Nick smiled and bounced his brows. “Don’t push your luck.”

“Madam, I plan on pushing – He stopped cold as Judy looked at him from the corner of her eyes. “Yes, Ma’am.” He chirped as he dipped his nose into her neck. She cringed until he pulled her chin to meet his eyes. “Carrots, you’ve seen the darkest parts of me, tonight. Let me see?” the doe clamped her eyes shut as his muzzle brushed along her nose and she sucked in a breath as tongue split her teeth.  
\--------------------------------

Bogo looked over the video scowling as Wolford sat with his paws folded on the desk. Jack and Skye both watched over the bull’s shoulders from where he was sitting and shook their heads. “This is his ex?” Jack asked and looked to see Wolford nodding. “It looks like Judy wanted to rip her head off.”

“She did. I’m pretty sure the only reason she didn’t was because Nick was keeping her behind his back. It was strange to watch. She acted almost like she was…”

“Submissive to him? Like a vixen is with a Tod?” Jack asked and watched as Bogo turned in the chair tipping a brow at him.

Wolford nodded as he looked off in thought. “Yes, but it was more than that, almost like she….”

“She could smell what he was feeling? Looking at the video it’s pretty clear he was upset, but he looks just as worried.” Jack asked and smirked as Wolford almost shrugged his agreement.

“Well, his ex is just lovely, isn’t she?” Skye snarked looking at the video they had pulled from the cruiser. “All this just because he’s a fox?”

“I can’t see any other reason for it. Nothing she did made much sense to me. I tried to tell Nick once I thought she was messing around behind his back and using him, but it almost ended us being friends.”

“That’s what you two were so standoffish with each other about last year?” Bogo asked and watched Wolford nodding. The bull leaned back and pulled his glasses off, pinching the bridge of his nose. “What is it you want to do? We can arrest her on fraudulent charges against an officer, but it doesn’t solve the problem with the landlord if he was in on this. I can have you both reinstated given the evidence is against her being the perpetrator, but I can’t legally do anything about it until tomorrow morning. Even if she’s in a jail cell tonight, neither of you can go back until this is official. We still have the issue of Mayor Lionheart and Assistant Mayor Bellwether missing to deal with and I’ll need a judge to rescind this order if one of them can’t be found to speed things up.”

Wolford shrugged. “I doubt Nick will want to do anything as long as he doesn’t have to think about it or deal with her anymore. I can’t imagine him wanting to drag anything to court with how he is. I think he’d be satisfied if she just left him alone.”

Jack’s ears perked as Skye stood up and shook her head. “Use the same play she did. I’m not blind and I outrank all of you.” Bogo looked at him sneering and Jack held his paws up. “No offence meant, it’s just that I have the authority to sign legal documents like a judge would because of my position in the Z.B.I. I can draw up a restraining order and get her out of there tonight. I’m sure if a federal officer talked to the landlord, he might change his mind about a few things too.” 

Wolford and Bogo looked at him glaring. “Exactly how and why does a Z.B.I. Agent need to have the same kind of authority as a judge?”

Jack smirked as he looked at Skye. The vixen rolled her eyes when he chuckled. “It’s a lot easier to have someone extradited from one country to another on Federal charges if you don’t have to deal with the local federal or state judges and can just sign the papers yourself.”

“Other Federal jurisdictions? How is that possible? Sounds like a conflict of interests.” Wolford held a finger up and opened his mouth, but thought better of it as he shook both paws. “On second thought, I don’t want to know. We really should ask Nick what he wants to do before we do anything.”

“You should have let her hit him.” Skye growled looking at the frozen video again.

“Believe me. I’ve thought that a few times this afternoon, but to loosely quote Nick at the time- He really didn’t want Judy in prison for murder.”

Jack cupped a paw over his muzzle hissing as Skye laughed. Bogo rolled his eyes as he nodded. He picked up the phone and asked Clawhauser to connect him with Wilde, but the line kept ringing and he hung up pointing to the wolf. “Call him, get him in here, Wolford.” 

“Yes, Sir.” He answered as he pulled his phone from his pocket. He let it ring several times and shook his head as he disconnected. The bull sighed as he rubbed his temples.

“I suppose you don’t have any idea where he might be? He’s not at the bar?”

“No, Sir.” Wolford answered. “Ginger closed the place down after breakfast. She said she’d reopen right before the day shift got off like she usually does. There’s not much reason to keep the place open during the day when most of the officers on patrol stop someplace on their routes to grab lunch. She just started serving breakfast about a month ago and advertising it would be open twenty four hours.”

Skye looked at Jack raising a brow. The buck shook his head and shrugged as Bogo leaned forward templing his fingers. “For the moment let’s just assume he’s sleeping somewhere. In the meantime, I suggest you all look over the case and try to figure out…anything.” Jack nodded before he left with Skye and watched Wolford making his way to the locker rooms.

“Jack, why didn’t you tell him we could find out where he is with the tracker on his phone?”

“Not so loud!” Jack hissed in a low vice as he looked round. “Do you think I’m crazy?!”

The vixen scowled as she folded her arms over her chest. “Chief Bogo doesn’t know you’ve been doing that, does he?”

“Not…exactly?”

“JACK!”

“Alright, I should have told him when Wilde’s girl became a suspect, I can’t now! Not without it costing us a lot of trust it would take years to rebuild! Let’s just get somewhere private and look into it?”

“We are not done having this conversation, Jack!” He nodded and huffed as she turned opening a door and shaking her head growling.

Jack pulled up a screen on the computer after securing the room and Skye watched his brows curl as he typed. “We have a couple of little problems.”

“What is it?” Skye asked as she leaned over the desk. Her face fell as he clicked the mouse several times. “The fur was identified as a rabbit doe?”

Jack curled his lip as he shook his head. “Nothing we have found at the scenes ever came back with DNA intact.”

What’s the other problem?” Skye asked and he moved the mouse clicking another page. “That can’t be right.”

“No kitting.” He said sarcastically as Skye glared at him. “It’s like his phone never existed. It’s not even that it’s turned off. I can’t find it anywhere.”

“I bet I know who can.” Skye growled as Jack tipped his head to the side. His nostrils flared as he closed his eyes. “I’m going to kill that little- TROLL!”

The vixen laughed as he deadpanned her. “Wilde did say he knew everyone.”

“Well, let’s hope him knowing everyone doesn’t get him killed. You get the Troll on the horn and explain things-discreetly, while I look over these photos again.” Skye watched him pull up several pictures on the screen and glared at him as he yanked several large cut up pictures from his suit coat.

“You’re carrying those around?! You were supposed to give those back with the case files earlier! You are abusing the position you are in and your-”

“Skye, I would love it if I had thought about it earlier, and you weren’t screaming at me now. I’ll let you abuse me all you want to when this is over. You can chew my rear later.” Jack grumbled as he laid them out on the desk.

Skye shook her head as she hit a button on her phone and his ears perked as he scowled, listening to a nasally voice covered by electronic synthesizers. “You got a problem, Blondie? You never call me unless there’s a hitch in the get up somewhere.” Duke answered.

“Hello, Troll. We have a problem, apparently it’s you.”

“HEEEY.” Duke growled as he sat up. “Hang on a second.” Skye and Jack looked at the phone and the buck curled his lips as they waited.

“We are the top agents in the Z.B.I. and the guy is putting us on hold?!”

“He does have a business to run, Jack.”

When the line came back up the weasel was chuckling as Jack cursed in the background. “I don’t have to help you. I won’t if you’re going to be rude like that.” Jack shut up as Skye scowled at him. “What can I do you for?”

“We need to locate Wilde. He’s missing.” Duke sighed as he leaned forward looking at the screens. “Gods damn, this is getting all the kinds of complicated I was trying to avoid! What for anyway? It’s not like he’s…. Is he in trouble again?”

Skye looked at Jack sneering as she spoke. “Again? Get the tracker back on or I’ll make sure you spend a lot of time in prison, instead of working for us.” 

Duke growled as he was punching things into his screen. “It will take a few minutes.”

Skye leaned forward as Jack turned looking like he’d seen a ghost. “Oh, my gods…. Why, Jack?”

He had arranged the pictures on the desk in the order of each death and moved things around so that each victim within a certain timeframe were together. All the wounds lined up to show two letters plain as day. N.W. “It doesn’t matter why Skye, tell him now and find Wilde!”

She explained everything to Duke, and he had the tracker back up with Jack searching through the maps on the screen to locate him. Skye stepped to the side of the desk and hung up. Jack furled his brow as she shook her head. “You’re reading it wrong Jack. It’s not him. The first few victims were before Nick was a cop. Look again.”

Jack stepped around the other side and looked again shaking his head. “This doesn’t make any sense, Skye. The females were…. A maned wolf, a painted dog and a vixen. It’s not Nick she’s after but he’s connected to it somehow? There’s no way we can figure out how or why without talking to one of them.”

“I think Wolford already left. I have his number, there must be someone who might know something about this? They’ve both worked here for years.”

Jack looked to the pictures and cringed. “The only one who knows all the gossip in this station is-

“Clawhauser.” 

They both said at the same time as Jack grabbed the phone again and connected to the front desk. “I’ll get him down here. See if you can get either of them on the phone and I’ll find where they are using the mapping system.” 

Skye took the numbers while Jack told Bogo to have to cat meet them in the small conference room. 

“Wolford must be in an area where there isn’t any service.” 

Skye watched Jack pointing to the screen as she dialed Nick’s number. “Nick is in the rainforest district? He’s still not answering his phone.”  
\-------------------------------------------------------------------------------  
The reason for that was because he was currently on his back, trying to rub the spots from his eyes after Judy had quite literally burst into flames, and the flash had nearly blinded him. He was still flicking his ears back and forth, but froze as a roar and the flapping of all the wings from the birds that had been in the trees fled from the sound. He managed to get to his feet and looked up, nearly stumbling back against the rocky hillside as a massive red skinned demon lumbered through the waterfall and landed on all fours in front of him. “Oh, this was such a bad idea!” he mumbled as he turned his head and closed his eyes. She easily dwarfed Bogo and was furious if the heat billowing from her and causing the oxygen in the air to seem like it might catch on fire was any indication of her mood. Not that he needed one as he cracked one eye on her and flinched at the eyeless indentations as she roared at him again. “Look, maybe I shouldn’t have done this, but I really need your help and I just need you to remember I still love you.”

“Love.” She growled as she dropped her head. “It is the death of all life and a fool is the one who sticks his head in the mouth of a one who can rip him in half!”

“It is not the death of all things. It is the reason for all things!”

“Says the fox who lost his life to a rabbit he tried to give the world to.”

Nick’s head fell and he swallowed the lump in his throat as the demon in front of him kept her lips curled tight. “I didn’t deserve that. If you are that frustrated maybe you should be trying to fix this instead of trying to hurt me? WHAT IS YOUR PROBLEM?!”

“If I hurt you, I would kill you. That would fix my problem.” she said in a sickeningly diverse tone as Nick looked at her glaring.

“You know I think your nothing more than frustration and you really need to get laid!”

“I NEED NOTHING FROM YOU! All I desire is to kill! I am the essence of all love causes! A force to be reckoned. The knife you keep playing with that will cut out your heart! We need nothing from you and do not want for a thing that would kill in desire. Why do you call upon me again when I have shown you mercy?! I AM HERE FOX! I AM NOTHING BUT AN ASSASSIN. I WILL BURN ALL THAT I TOUCH. DO YOU LONG FOR DEATH TO FIND YOU SO MUCH YOU THAT YOU SEEK IT OUT? HERE I AM! Let me take you swiftly to your grave!” 

She raised her paw and extended her claws and Nick stepped forward nodding. “If you wish for my life then take it. I’ve already given it to you.” The demon dropped her brow as she cocked her head and Nick smirked watching her sniffing the air. “We?” He asked as her horns perked. “You’ve done that several times. You say we. She denies you are one and the same, but you, you flip back and forth. Why? You know you’re just part of her. The more frustrated she is, the bigger you get. The stronger you are. She feeds you. She is what keeps you alive. If love is the death of all things, and you are so sure of that, why do you need her at all?”

The demon shook its head as it stepped back, and Nick watched her cupping her face as she roared again. “I do not need your nonsense in my head. I know all things.”

“All things?” He asked, and she turned her head as if watching him. “Who is the other demon?” When she turned back to the water, he stepped closer, carefully watching his steps as her back bristled in a low growl. “You don’t know?” He sighed as he took a seat watching her snapping her teeth. “So, you don’t know everything. If you don’t know love how could you know everything? It was cruel that you were born without the ability to love someone or be with someone you care for.”

Nick fought not to jump as it turned and sneered at him. “I can be what I choose to be and can take the form of anything I need to become.”

He narrowed his eyes and cocked his head to one side smirking as he shook his head. “Really? So, you can, have working parts?” 

“Why would I, or any demon need such things? We are not assigned a gender.” She growled as she brushed her cheek along her shoulder, as if she were preening herself. 

Nick smiled as he turned away from her, trying not to laugh at the fact that she knew exactly what he was talking about. It was just another clue that the two- were one and the same. “Ah, so you only know that once you are in another person and can’t be anything you want. Figures. I don’t think you are any different than any other mammal and are just full of hot air.”

“LIE!? I do not need to lie, least of all one such as you!”

“Such as me?” He made a sour face as she smiled. “Suck as me can do what I say I can do and not brag without proving it. I don’t believe you.” 

Nick held his ground as she growled at him. “Do you think me a fool? To fall for such an obvious attempt to waste my energy on such a feat?”

“You say you can take any shape you want and know everything, but that wasn’t true. So, yeah. I do think you’re some kind of fool.” he said cockily as he stood and looked up at her. “It’s not that big a deal. We all have faults. Some of us just know how to live with them. I should get back to my phone and find out who was trying to call me a little bit ago. It might be important.”

Nick jerked and lifted his brow as she whirled on him. “You dismiss me so easily?!”

“Why shouldn’t I? You have no use for the parts? You are rage, anger and frustration? Death? How can you be all those things when you have no understanding of passion and desire? Love?”

“I will prove it to you for nothing other than to shut you up!” Nick shielded his face as she caught fire again and looked back at her wide eyed as she fell to her knees clutching her guts.

“Horrors! What is the horror and purpose of this!” She looked herself over and Nick cupped a paw over his muzzle. 

“Woah. I was so wrong about you.” He admitted it for nothing other than appeasing her as she huffed and looked at him stunned. “I have a question though. If no demon has ever had use for those, things….” He looked off in thought and blinked as he turned back to her. “How does Finnick know about all this and claim it can be controlled?”

“The Zerda sand fox? He is an abomination to our kind. He has corrupted the demon he possessed.” 

“How the hell does someone corrupt a demon?!”

“He was cursed at a very early age, for kissing a bunny on the cheek. He has made a point to stay away from the species since then. It grew with him. He is the reason it is not allowed to be used on someone young who does not understand desire, and the reason the first law was created regarding its use. We do not have physical forms in the underworld, we only understand certain things if we are born to one through this curse. It laid dormant in him for many years.” She growled as she stood, and Nick chuckled as she turned covering herself, noting the blush in her skin actually looked blue rather than a darker shade of red.

“You know you’re beautiful, right? There isn’t anything about you, you should try to hide from your mate.”

“My mate?” She asked shaking her head. “No demon has ever had a mate. You confuse me and make me feel strange. I dislike the uncertainty I feel when I am near you. Why do you keep calling me! I am all that stands in the way of you being with her!”

“You are my mate too, you know? You are part of her. I love both of you.” When she turned and he caught the flesh where her eyes should have been shift, he smiled and nodded as she growled.

“Fool fox. We both know what love is. Love is a battlefield and I have no heart for it. No heart in the war it creates survives unscathed. We are not the same or we would not be fighting with each other because of this. YOU! I am trapped by your ‘love’ and wish to break these chains you have both shackled me in!”

“Maybe that confusion is something you just aren’t used to. You do have a heart, or you would have killed me already. Right? Heartache can come from not being able to have something you really want and make you angry too.”

“At some point you will understand that I cannot be anything but what I am. You will turn away and we will both die as all the others have. I will make no demands from you and cannot promise I will not be that which kills you when I possess her.”

“I don’t believe that.” When she turned her head with a flat brow, Nick’s ears shot up. “Wait…. did you say- Finnick possessed the demon? If he did that then it is possible for you two to be together? So, we could be together.” He stepped closer and chuckled as she took a step back and lost several inches in her height. “Bashful, now that I didn’t think I’d see.”

“You mock me?”

“No.” He tried to hide his smile as she kept certain parts of herself covered. “I really think you and your other half need to get on the same page, Carrots.”

“Why?” She shrank again as he reached for her face. 

“You don’t need to be afraid of me. No more than I am of you.”

“You should be terrified of me.”

“I’ve been told a time or two.” He chuckled as she let him cup her cheek. “But you are both going to have to be together for this to work. You’ve never…. Oohhh.” His ears flipped back as she turned her head towards him, and he watched her larger horns shift forward as his eyes widened.

“What?!”

He shook his head and sighed. “You know when people think about demons, they think they have all kinds of experience in certain areas that make them…either very appealing or very unappealing. You have no experience in this area at all though, do you?”

“What area?”

“Love?” When she turned her head back towards the water and her horns dipped again, he nodded and changed the subject. “So, of all the things you do know, can you tell me about Finnick?”

She growled and Nick cupped a paw back over his muzzle when the tips of her larger horns lit like candles. “He is currently trying to escape the prison he put himself in using the same methods he once used to corrupt another demon.”

“Another demon?!” Nick asked as his jaw fell. “What do you mean corrupt another demon?”

“The one in this city was once his. If a possessed person does something noble, their demon will leave them and latch onto the person they were the closest to when they did it. I do not know who the demon latched onto.”

“Something noble? What the hell did he do that-

“He saved a vixen from one who would harm her. I know this only because it is in the memories of the demon he has now. His memories are the same, as he was born to Finnick.”

Nick blinked and shook his head, already knowing exactly who the vixen was. “Wait- you know where he is? If you can see his memories, why can’t you see the one that has been killing people!?”

“Finnick is in the same town we came from and has been cursed again. He went seeking the one who brought me forward and found what he wanted. He is unharmed, but very aggravated because he has not found a way to leave and come back yet that would not harm others. I cannot see the other demon’s thoughts because it is corrupt. He doesn’t seem to be sure of who she is, but has an idea. He believes they lie and try to misdirect their identity.”

“Why?” Nick asked as the demon curled its lip.

“It is corrupt because it has been with more than one host. For a demon it would be like pouring the minds of several people into one pitcher and trying to separate all their thoughts into separate cups.”

“Like trying to get kool aid out of water…..” Nick mumbled as she looked around and nodded. “The other demon went mad?”

“I think we cannot see its thoughts because it does not think like the rest of us and jumped from one to another. It has only happened once. Most who are cursed avoid people and stay from those they care about or anyone that they could harm or cause to be cursed as well.”

“Son of a – Nick cursed as he clenched his fists. “Well who does he think it is?!” She moved her head to him again and her brows dropped when he growled. “DAMMIT, CARROTS! This is important! I know you saved Snarlov, but she almost killed my friend!” He watched her cringe and shrink again when he stepped closer shaking and sighed. “Please.”

“You wish me to tell you something that may not be true and cast suspicion on another who may not be guilty of such a thing when they believed it was me? Do you not understand what I am? What I am capable of? Most deny the truth of who they are. I do not. I know what I am capable of doing and how I can harm others. You call me Carrots, but I am not Carrots.”

His ears pinned back, and he rubbed his head when she stood up and acted like she was looking around, even though she still had no clear definition of eyes. “I think you are Carrots, listen to me. It doesn’t matter what you tell me. It isn’t going to change anything between us. I’m not going to assume it is this person unless I know for sure, but we need to start somewhere. I’m not going to see you any differently or think less of you for it. I mean, I’m talking to demon who’s worried about hurting someone’s feelings or their reputation? You’ve told me half a dozen times you were going to kill me, but it’s just talk. We all know what we are capable of doing, and we are all capable of harming others. You are no different than everyone else. We all try not to do that, and those of us who know we have done that usually try to make up for it. I know this part of you is trying to live up to a certain reputation, but changes have to start somewhere. This isn’t going to disappear, for you or anyone else, and neither am I. I think you demons are more influenced by who you are born to than what you’d like to admit.” He stepped closer watching her shrink again and carefully grabbed one of her paws, avoiding the razor sharp claws as he cupped hers with both his. “If I could make one promise I would try to keep, it would be that I would get you both together in a place no one could ever hurt you again. I will be here when you go back to sleep, and I’ll be here when you wake up again, no matter how red you get, with or without fur and I will never do anything that will hurt you. Either of you.”

“You speak as if that is a promise you can make.”

“You speak as if you think I won’t love you with my dying breath, even if I believed it would come at your claws. Who does Finnick think it might be?”

The demon curled her face as he leaned over raising a brow. “Red fur, she wants red fur or wears red fur?”

Nick’s face fell and he flinched as she bolted upright. Both sets of horns lit up and he stepped back looking at her when the focus she had kept on him snapped beyond the tree line. “Carrots?”

“Death is upon the city again." She dove into the water and was at the other side of the little lake faster than he could blink. 

“HEY! WHERE ARE YOU GOING! YOU CAN’T JUST LEAVE ME HERE AND GO RUNNING AROUND THE CITY LIKE THAT!” He jumped when she was back across the water in an instant and grabbed him before she bound her legs and leapt across the water with him sucking in a breath. 

“No, I should not leave you here where another may find you.”

He grabbed his muzzle fighting off the urge to lose his guts. “Oh, that’s just…hrk. HEY HEY HEY!” He screamed as she shot past the car. “WE’RE BOTH NAKED!”

“Do you care more about your humility than lives that can be saved?!” She growled as she grabbed a pair of pants off the trunk. Nick stuffed his legs in them, nearly falling over before she grabbed him and tossed him over her shoulder. He grabbed her horns and held on, shaking his head as everything passed them by in a blur….

Bogo’s ears set as sirens started blaring. “CHIEF!” He looked up as Clawhauser rushed through his door with red cheeks. “The Z.F.D. has requested our help. There’s a fire on the outskirts of the Savanah Square. Fire Sergeant Packer says it’s located at the edge of the district. They’re trying to evacuate most of the district because the building is right next to the propane plant and the tanks are at risk of exploding. The lines that are connected for heating the district run everywhere. I sent it to your screen.”

Bogo clicked the mouse and nodded. “I’ll get all the available personal over there and tell them they have us. I want you with Savalde and Winter. He says he needs to ask you some questions. They are in the first private office behind your desk reviewing things for a case. I’ll have Higgins take over the desk until you’re done.” He picked up the phone as Clawhauser looked at him shaking his head in confusion. “Go!”

“On my way, Sir.” Clawhauser made his way back downstairs and into the little office as the officers in the station grabbed keys, gear and jackets. He heard Bogo over the com system barking orders as he opened the door and looked at Jack and Skye looking up from the desk. “Chief said you needed my help on a case? I haven’t done any field work for years but…” when he stepped around the desk Skye cringed as his face fell, seeing the pictures on the computer. He pointed at them with a look of panic before his eyes rolled back and he fainted, sprawling out on the floor.

Jack shook his head as Skye rushed around the desk. “This is going splendidly already. What’s up with all the bells and whistles going off?” He watched several officers rushing past the doors and back to Skye.

She shook her head as she landed on her knees looking over the large cheetah. “Just look at the main screen. It should come up on the page.” Clawhauser groaned and huffed as Skye helped him sit up. 

Jack looked over the page shaking his head. “A fire on the corner of Woodlawn and Forty Seventh Street. Looks like the building takes up the whole block.”

“The Canid building?” Clawhauser asked as he rubbed is head.

“Yes.” Jack almost asked as he leaned back looking between him and Skye. “You know it?”

“It’s where Wolford and Nick live. One side is their apartment building, but the other three house small businesses. The west side is owned by the gas company and they have a lot they store propane and tanks on across the street.”

“Another connection between the partners and the crimes? Those are some impossible odds.” Jack locked eyes with Skye as Clawhauser grabbed the desk and pulled himself from the floor.

“Not as odd as the victims you’ve got there.” Clawhauser groused as he looked the other way, trying not to see the pictures again.

“You see a connection?” Skye asked as Clawhauser wobbled and shook his head.

“The first girl was Wolford’s first partner.” Jack nodded as he looked at the pictures. “The others were Nick’s girlfriends. He’s dated others, but they were the only ones he got serious about.”

Jack and Skye left everything on the table as they shoved Clawhauser out the door. “Get us to that building. Nick’s ex is there.”

“The bunny? He broke up with her already?”

“Broke up with… ? No, not Judy, wrong bunny, Clawhauser. We don’t know exactly what’s going on yet. Just that it’s revolving around Wolford and Wilde somehow. We just need to get there before we have another body on our paws.” Clawhauser gulped as they rushed to the parking garage. “Explain it as we go. They hadn’t been identified yet. Wilde broke up with the others? He has a history of that?”

Clawhauser was in the back seat of their vehicle as Jack grabbed a magnetized light he stuck to the top of the car. “I don’t know if he…I guess maybe he does?”

“You can start with the painted dog and then the vixen. Skip the maned wolf, there’s no way anyone could investigate that any further and I doubt they missed something with her being a cop.” 

Clawhauser nodded at Jack as he fastened his seat belt. “Nick just never let anyone that close after her. She wasn’t from around here. Her and Nick were together for a while. She had some kind of problems with her immigration status or something and a lot of the customs about how things worked here. She wanted Nick to go back with her, but he told her no. His mother was still here then, and he didn’t want to be that far from his family. We all just thought she went home. Her name was…Nick called her his favorite bag of chips. Chipo was her first name. Chipo Babirye or something like that? She was from Africa. She was really bubbly and fun to be around. He didn’t really act like he wanted to get serious with anyone after she was gone. Until Roxie came around. She’s just a mean little bunny. I can’t tell you a lot about the vixen. I met her once, but they were dating when he first got into the police academy. I think they might have met when he was still in school? He didn’t talk too much about her. I guess she told him she wasn’t comfortable being around cops all the time after he graduated and he said it just wasn’t going to work out.”

“What about the maned Wolf? Nick ever meet her?” Jack asked as he veered around a corner.

“No, he wasn’t even a cop yet. Wolford didn’t even meet Nick until a few months later. That almost killed Wolford.”

“I think it would just about kill anyone to lose a partner.” Skye looked back and raised her ears as Clawhauser’s pinned to his head. “More than partners?” Clawhauser shook his head as he grabbed his stomach. She kept her eyes with his and lowered her voice as she tried to smile. “Benji, they both might be in danger and there is a good chance Nick’s ex is too.”

“It’s not polite to talk about the dead like this.”

Skye nodded as she ticked her eyes to Jack briefly, and back to Clawhauser as Jack shook his head. “We don’t want to hear anything bad. We just need to try to understand why or how it might be connected?”

Clawhauser nodded as he let out a heavy sigh. “D.J. was really quiet and very shy. Wolford adored her. I don’t really know what happened, but I got the impression she tried to…let him down gently?”

“Any reason why?”

Clawhauser shook his head. “Besides that they were partners? Bogo won’t allow partners to be in relationships like that. There was a rumor going around for a little while that she didn’t like guys. No one really knew how it got started but it stopped as soon as she….”

Skye nodded as he fidgeted in the seat. “I need you to think Benji, is there anyone who might be upset if someone hurt Wilde or Wolford, someone who might be interested in one of them?”

“About anyone in Precinct one would be upset. That’s just how we all are. But not enough that they would want to hurt any of our own guys or someone else.”

“Is there anyone else you can think of? Even someone who may have seemed interested in them outside of work?”

Jack slowed as a few cars tried to get out of the way. Clawhauser looked out the window and cringed looking at the Pig Sty. Skye glanced the same direction and Jack looked back before his foot slammed the brake trying to avoid rear ending another car. “The panda. How long has she been running that bar? How long was it before the first murder and her getting involved with the police department?”

Clawhauser sighed as he shook his head. “She took over about a year after Nick graduated, but her father owned the place. She could have …. It can’t be her. It just can’t be her.”

Skye turned in her seat, glancing at Jack as they both thought the same thing. It was the perfect place to hide from law enforcement and have an ear on conversations that might not be thought about around people the officers had become comfortable talking about cases and trusted. It might also explain why there had been significant lapses between the victims. The connection between Wolford and Wilde was too much to ignore with the other officers that had been killed in the same way. Jack lowered his voice as Skye leaned over. “We have never found anything at any scene to indicate who has been doing this. How much of a coincidence do you think it is we found rabbit doe fur at a crime scene that could be identified, after she had been in that bar with Wilde and Wolford?”

Jack blinked as he shook his head. “Can’t be.”

“Step on it, Jack!” Jack hit the gas again after clearing the few cars that had pulled to the side of the road and ground his jaw as Skye chewed on her claws…


	24. Battle Breaded Bunny Armor

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Turn Up The Heat

Nick: IYAZ; Replay/Sam Tinnesz; With You Til The End

Judy; Sia; Never Give Up*

“Take it easy.” Wolford sat up laughing as Snarlov chuckled, clutching his ribs. 

“Ugh, I’m fine. I’m going to be laid up here for a few weeks. The Doctor says it might be a couple of months before I get back to work though. I’m going to be bored out of my mind.”

Wolford sighed as he shook his head. “You’re alive. That’s all that matters.”

“How’s Nick doing?” When Wolford looked out the window Snarlov growled lowly until he turned back to him again. “Jake. He’s one of ours and you know it. He’s one of ours because of you.”

Wolford scoffed and chuckled. “That rabbit has caused all kinds of problems.”

Snarlov groaned as he closed his eyes. “He got another one like that?”

“No. I don’t think he did this time. It’s the last one that’s still causing problems.”

The white wolf opened his eyes, raising his brow as he smirked. “Hold up…Did you just, halfheartedly admit you like her?” Snarlov chuckled as Wolford scrunched his nose and shook himself back and forth as if to say -so so. “Ok, either she did something impressive or you really hate the other one right now. What have I missed?” His ears perked as Wolford started rehashing the last couple of days and Snarlov curled his lip, cringing as he tried to sit up. Wolford grabbed a pillow and handed him the control to raise the top of the bed. “If you guys need to stay somewhere for a few days, my place is empty right now and will be for at least a couple of weeks. Just tell Nick he better not be having sex with her on any of my furniture.”

Wolford laughed as he leaned forward shaking his head. “I don’t think she would stay there even if he did.”

“Why not? Has she got something against wolves or something?”

“No. She didn’t seem to like staying at his place too much.”

“Why?”

Wolford looked out the window nodding and smiled as he leaned back in the chair, leaving his paws in his lap. “Losing touch with your senses? You weren’t paying attention while she was at the bar?”

“Well yeah, she acted like she was…. She’s afraid of him? That’s why they haven’t made it official yet?”

“No. The reason she’s keeping herself at a distance is to prove a point, I think. Told him some nonsense about being cursed and not being able to be with anyone. He is on her tail though.”

“You know as -er?..... slow paced as he kept things with anyone else, he sure is moving fast with this one.”

“No, he’s not.”

“They haven’t?” Wolford shook his head as Snarlov blinked. “Ooh, I know how he is about taking care of the girl he’s with. I bet he’s about ready to explode not being able to…” Wolford shook his head grinning as Snarlov’s jaw fell. “He’s not?”

“Doesn’t seem to be. Whatever she’s doing seems to be working. I’ve tried to call him a few times and he must have found her because he’s not answering his phone. If he hadn’t found her, he would have called me after I told him he needed to talk to her before he started thinking she wouldn’t want him because of what’s going on.”

“You sent him looking for her? Well color me impressed. Why are you so sure he would have called you though? He might be on a bender somewhere.”

“He doesn’t have any money. He gave it all to Crowely this morning to pay the next couple of months rent. She gave him the money she won from the bar. He added it to what he had this morning. He was set on turning over a new leaf. I had to buy him breakfast. He said he’d pay me back Friday.”

“Well holy shit and all that. He actually asked to borrow money? He never does that. I thought he swore that was one of his…personal rules or something.”

“No, he didn’t ask for money. He just asked me to get him breakfast. He said they were up most of the night talking and had only slept a couple of hours.”

“Damn. After the way Roxie was with him, no wonder he’s hooked.”

Wolford snickered. “They looked like shit this morning, but he bounced out of it pretty quick.”

“What did she ask you for anyway?”

“You wouldn’t believe me if I told you.”

“Well I’m already beside myself so what’s the harm? You know I’m going to call you every hour on the hour until you tell? I have nothing better to do.”

Wolford tapped is fingers and sighed as Snarlov prodded him with a claw. “She said I needed to remember that she would have killed Roxie before she let her touch him again, and that she’d let him eat her if he was starving, and she meant it.” He shook his head laughing as Snarlov clutched his ribs hissing. “We’ve really been hanging around him way too much to be thinking what we are thinking.”

Snarlov cackled with him. “Maybe, but it’s still funny. Tell him to quit it because he’s a bad influence on all of us!”

“Like that has ever worked in the history of Nicholas Wilde. He’s still the most beautiful thing I’ve ever seen even though I never tell him he’s pretty anymore.” They both chuckled and Wolford sat up as sirens blared. He looked out the window watching several fire trucks and police cars racing down the street and stood up watching them go around the side of the building.

Snarolv looked that direction and Wolford shrugged as he flipped the television on. “Might be on the news.” They were both startled as a nurse rushed into the room with a wheelchair and the officer who had been posted outside. “I’m sorry Mr. Snarlov, we have to leave the building.”

“Why?” He asked and groaned when she stuck her arms under him. The panther easily outweighed him, but he wasn’t helping her as Rhinowitz looked to the screen. The television sound came on and Wolford’s face fell as the broadcast showed a picture of their apartment building in flames. Snarlov grabbed his arm almost yanking away from the nurse. “The Jenkins won’t be able to get out and neither will Mr. Hackles. Not from the top floor! He hasn’t left that apartment in more than a year! Jake, he’s my….”

“You know I’ll go, but I can’t guarantee I’ll be back. I’m suspended and have a restraining order to stay away from-

Rhinowitz Grabbed Snarlov and picked him up as the nurse cupped both paws over her mouth. “Go find your partner, Wolford. Get your family out of that building. You know Wilde is probably already there and isn’t going to give a shit about those papers if he can save someone, even if it’s that doe who screwed him over. We have orders to evacuate the hospital and all officers that aren’t on an assignment have been asked to help evacuate that whole area. The tanks might hold gas and get filled for smaller homes in the colder districts, but the lines under them go everywhere in this district to keep it warm. Those tanks go off and it will take out half of Savanna central when it lights up all the lines. Bogo isn’t going to say anything when he’s already on the scene and needs the help.”

Snarlov tried to catch his breath as the nurse covered his muzzle with a mask and Wolford left in a rush, following the sirens down the roads he wished he didn’t know so well…….

Bogo was waving paws in every direction and barking orders trying to get the traffic jam cleared up as the trucks finally got through. He left with the most experienced officers following them until they rolled in front of a building where the flames from the top were shooting into the air. The firefighters were grabbing hoses, axes, and helmets off trucks as they hooked everything up to the fire hydrants. Several of the residents were trying to crowd out the front doors as they tried to help their neighbors. Many of the oldest residents were putting up a fight trying to grab things until the younger ones were either pushing them out or picking them up and carrying them.

A few ambulances had parked at what had been deemed a ‘safe’ distance, waiting as they watched the firefighters who weren’t trying to get into the building, or others tending to the ones who were huddling together out on the street. Bogo looked around holding his head up as he kept directing the officers on where to focus their attention to help get stragglers to a safe distance, escorted by officers who were loading them into larger vehicles to leave the area. It was one of those odd moments the bull might reflect on later at how strange thoughts would pop into your head under stressful circumstances. Because if nothing else, he was grateful for the little traffic jam caused by everyone trying to leave that also barred the camera crews and reporters from getting any closer.

In the faces of the mammals who were being wrapped in blankets, the soot and ash had blinded them to see all that he could make out as everything around what he was trying to control, was beyond control. The sight of a few officers he knew shouldn’t have been there because they were off duty or from another district had his head lifted higher and he gave them each a slight nod and barked orders they all followed like a plan that had never missed a beat, when there had never been a plan to begin with. Half the Firefighters wrestled with hoses and drenched the side of the building as the others kept a continuous spray on tanks too close to the heat.

The face of one dark furred wolf a little taller than the others only stalled him for half a second as Wolford rushed to him and looked through the mammals that had already gotten out of the building. “Sir?”

“They need help on the west side of the building. They’re trying to use the hydrants over there to keep the tanks from getting too hot.”

“There are several elderly mammals in the building who can’t be moved. Mrs. Jenkins is in a medical bed; her husband won’t leave her. Mr. Hackles is on oxygen and can’t leave the apartment. He’s Snarlov’s uncle.”

Bogo froze as he looked at the building and shook his head……

Nick rolled onto the top of the roof and looked up panting as Judy looked back at him and snorted. She jumped and he shot up screaming as she landed on another roof. “HEY! DON’T YOU LEAVE ME OVER HERE!” He looked around the roof growling when he noticed there were no stairs or drains he could use to get down quickly. “I KNOW YOU DID THIS ON PURPOSE, CARROTS!” The fox rushed down through the stairs growling, and into the street running towards the building.

Chief Bogo turned as he heard several screams and watched in utter confusion as several mammals that had been moved away started running back towards the building. He stood with Wolford, both of them gawking as a lumbering red creature jumped from one roof to the other and landed right in front of them, halting everyone as they all looked on at what they couldn’t identify. A loud groan had the firefighters screaming as Judy turned her head to the sound and lifted one paw, catching the fire escape and stairs that left the building in a single section. The whole area went still as sound faded. The crackling of the flames were sucked back into the building and screaming was all that was left behind as the fire seemed to pull itself back through every open window on the second floor down from the roof.

Firefighters started screaming as they backed away. “DOWNDRAFT THROUGH THE BUILDING! SHE’LL EXPLODE WHEN IT CATCHES UP AGAIN!”

Police officers and firefighters scrambled trying to cover those who were exposed or move anyone they could to safety as Judy lifted her head to the building still hearing the screaming coming from inside. She shirked of the steel stairs and supports like a flea and jumped into the building, crashing through one section of the wall. “CARROTS!”

“CARROTS?!” Wolford barked, spotting Nick as he tried to get closer. “IS THAT YOUR BUNNY?!”

Nick raised a brow looking at him as he tried to catch his breath. “I TOLD YOU SHE WAS CURSED! YES, THAT’S MY BUNNY!”

Bogo and Wolford turned unsure of what action to take as Nick ran through the mammals trying to go the other direction. As soon as he got close enough that Bogo could reach him, a large bicep landed over his chest, and he looked up wide eyed as the bull looked down at him and back to the building. He nearly snapped until a stern glance had his ears tipped back to a superior officer as several more groans and creaking caused them all to look again. The bottom floor seemed to implode and the whole building dropped a good ten feet as if the bricks and mortar holding it up, along with anything that may have been in that part of the building had turned to dust.

The firefighters gaped as the red creature they had seen before slammed through the wall again, rolling to a stop not far in front of the rubble, curled into a ball. The force of her slamming through the bricks caused enough of a hole in the building that it looked as if one side might crumble away. Dust and splinters of stone fell away as furniture toppled from a few different sections that had been opened to the air. The clearing smoke left glimpses of movement the shocked viewers saw as pipes and floors shifting, but something far more sinister lurked in the building, hiding a smile and glowing red eyes.

“WILDE!” Bogo screamed and jerked to the side as Nick jumped around him running in front of her. Judy rolled over revealing several mammals wrapped against her chest and heaved as Mrs. Beesly stood holding two older mammals in each arm.

Wolford blinked as he looked at them and back to the building. “Where is Mrs. Jenkins?” The bear who stood just under Bogo’s height shook her head as an older hyena sobbed in her arms. 

“She will claim another lover.” Nick growled. The older wolf she was holding was barely conscious as Mrs. Beesly spotted an ambulance and explained he needed oxygen and Wolford confirmed they were the ones he had been talking about.

When another unknown scream seemed to send everyone’s fur on end, Mrs. Beesly stepped back with them as Judy jumped back into the building. “It’s Roxie.” The screams of the other female had all their ears perked as Bogo tried to get the bear and the charges she was carrying away from the building. Wolford escorted them back to an ambulance, keeping an eye on Nick as he kept trying to see anything through the dust and smoke. It had been efficient in keeping any news crews with helicopters from getting too close, along with an unknown warning Bogo would end up thanking Jack for later. 

The space in front of the building and the streets had been cleared except for the few emergency vehicles still there. Jack’s S.U.V. screeched to a stop, peeling the tires on the pavement as they all watched the building shift again. Large chunks seemed to be knocked from the inside and tumbled out into the open street. Everything was happening so fast no one had much time to think as the last of the mammals who had been lingering from the fire were ushered into vehicles. Jack shoved the car into park and was about to get out when screaming had his ears set as the north side of the building collapsed. That was enough to have the emergency workers moving back again, but as the dust flew out like a cloud from an atom bomb along the ground, it was the hood that crunched under a heavy weight that had Skye and Clawhauser grabbing for purchase and screaming. Jack clutched the wheel wide eyed as the beast that landed on the car looked in at him with glowing red eyes and a creepy smile. “Fuck.” Under any other circumstance Skye would have been looking at him unable to formulate thought as he cursed, but she was frozen in place as the thing looked at her and into the back of the car. The weight on the hood had caved it in and the shocks groaned as it jumped up, leaving Jack leaning forward as he looked up through the cracked windshield. “GET OUT OF THE CAR!” He yelled as he watched it hurl back towards the hood. The seat belts holding them had all locked up after the initial strike and Jack shook his head as he shoved himself back towards the seat. “HOLD ON TO SOMETHING!”

Bogo and the officers watching couldn’t do anything as it slammed the hood of the car again, flipping the S.U.V. into the air. The bull could hardly think as Nick searched frantically, looking for Judy while the dust kept trying to settle. It was the flash of heat that nearly bowled him over as it rushed over them that turned him. 

The thing attacking Jack’s car looked nearly identical to Judy, but it had large black wings. Two sets of horns, hooves on its hind feet and claws on its paws, bright red furless skin that looked thicker than steel. Muscles locked in rage watched as Judy caught the car by the bumper and held it over her head like it was nothing but a toy.

Jack sat frozen looking between them as Skye and Clawhauser heaved and tried to hold their weight away from falling forward. The only difference the buck could see in their facial features was that one had two large fangs hanging from the top of its mouth and ones grew from the bottom of her jaw. The Demon holding the SUV suspended in the air glared looking back at the winged creature sitting on the opposite roof, still sporting a creepy smile. Wolford had sent the last few vehicles with civilians on their way and stood shaking his head as Nick stepped closer to Bogo. The tires of Jack’s car hit the ground again with Clawhauser, and Skye panting as they clutched anything in front of them. The glowing red eyes that had been locked on the other demon looked into the car for half a second and Jack’s face fell as they shifted from red to purple in a moment he may have missed under any other circumstance because it only lasted for a blink. “It’s Judy.”

Skye huffed as she tried to get her seatbelt undone. “How do you know that?!”

“Didn’t you see her eyes turn purple?”

“WHAT EYES? THAT ONE HAS NO EYES! YOU’RE SEEING THINGS!” Skye screamed as Jack looked back and curled his brow.

“Or I saw what she wanted me to see.” Jack muttered as he looked around searching for the other one, but it had slipped into the shadows as he got out of his car. The building had nearly been flattened and caved into a large basement, leaving the west side where the tanks sat above the gas lines the only wall left standing.

Bogo looked at Nick frowning as he smirked, watching the demon turning her head in circles as her nostrils flared. She stepped closer with Bogo still searching uneasily as she unhooked one of her horns and he tipped a brow as she turned it over spilling out the contents of a small bunny into her other paw. Judy slammed the horn back to her head as Nick tipped his ears. Roxie was unceremoniously dumped onto the ground shivering as something blue dripped from her fur, before she ran around Nick and grabbed him screaming. “IT TRIED TO SMOTHER ME AND DROWN ME IN THAT STUFF! LOOK WHAT IT DID TO MY FUR! WHY AM I WHITE!?”

Wolford raised both brows and Bogo ticked his eyes between them when the demon without eyes in front of Nick leaned forward in a low growl. “I put you in there to keep you from being burnt again and healed your wounds, hiding you from the other one. You were purified by what healed you and your soul may take longer to change than the color of your fur considering how dark and twisted you had become! You were unworthy of the gift of rebirth only given to the purest of souls and those considered saints in this realm if it is still all you can see! I will only kill what threatens MINE!”

“Stooop.” Nick said in a low voice as he held one finger up. Wolford and Bogo blinked when her horns dipped back as she lowered her head. “Wait a second- Mine?” he asked grinning as her cheeks turned blue.

“YOURS!” Roxie screamed as she stepped away from Nick. “Why the hell is everyone and every-thing, trying to steal my fox!”

Nick quirked a brow when Judy’s horns pinned to her back and spikes shot from her vertebra as she hissed. “From this moment on, no one in this world will see you as anything but what your true intentions are until you see yourself as they have! You saying he is yours is enough of a threat for this - thing, to eat you and I wouldn’t even have to chew!” Judy leaned forward and growled, revealing her teeth and Roxie’s eyes rolled back as she fainted. 

Nick and Wolford watched her fall, letting her crumple to the ground. The fox stuck his paws on his hips and looked back to her shaking his head. “Carrots, that wasn’t very nice.”

“Oh, like she was ever all sugar and spice?!” He crossed his arms over his chest and pinned his ears back at her, chuckling as she dipped her head and turned as if shying from him.

Jack stepped closer looking around as Clawhauser peeked out the window. Skye had stayed in the car and shifted over to the driver’s seat. The truck was totaled but neither of them were in a hurry to get out, looking around as all the officers and firefighters kept an eye on what was going on or searched trying to find the demon that seemed to vanish. Bogo motioned to a pig who was looking over the building shaking her head. “Swinton, get the bunny out of here. Take her to Mercy general and have her looked at. It’s where all the others were taken and moved to.” She nodded grabbing Roxie and making her way to a smaller squad car while Nick had stuck his paw under the demon’s chin scratching her neck. The fox chuckled as one of her back feet thumped against the ground.

Bogo shook his head as Jack stepped closer watching Wolford cupping a paw over his muzzle. When the buck seemed more occupied with searching the surrounding area than watching what Nick was doing with a demon, the bull looked around already knowing there was something more going on. “Savalde. You know something I don’t?”

“I suspect something.” Jack kept ticking his eyes around watching the emergency workers and nodded. “Pull your officers in and get them out of here. This was just a diversion.”

Bogo curled one side of his lip and glared at Jack as he looked around. He wasn’t fond of being told what to do or having someone outrank him, particularly in front of his officers, but he bit back the aggravation and huffed as he raised an arm and watched the officers all nod before they started moving. “A diversion for what?”

Jack looked up at him and ticked his eyes between Wolford and Nick. “Baiting what she wants to claim as hers to the best place to catch him? And all these people are expendable if they get in her way.”

“A false queen trying to capture the King.” Wolford growled as he looked around.

“A what?” Nick asked as he looked up. Judy may have been momentarily lost in Nick’s affection, but her horns shot up as she stood with her nostrils flaring again.

“Someone sent me a message about you earlier.” Wolford pulled his phone out letting Jack, Bogo and Nick pass it around and they looked it over before Jack watched Judy turn. Her horns were glowing as she seemed to forget they were there. Skye had slipped out of the car with Clawhauser as most of the officers kept helping the firefighters make sure the gas tanks were cool enough to be left alone or moving away if they weren’t needed.

Clawhauser looked over the message frowning and shook his head. “There is never just one King on a chess board. The game is over if one of them falls.” The cat flinched as Judy growled and stuck her nose in the air.

“Carrots? Do you smell something?”

“Nothing.” She shook her head. Jack nodded his agreement with an odd face.

Wolford followed the motion of pointing his nose up. “Neither do I.” He frowned as his nose crinkled. “Not even the smoke from the fire or what was burnt.”

“She is still here.” Judy growled looking around. 

Bogo sighed as the Fire Marshall walked to him and looked around. “I think we can start the cleanup now. Looks like we got lucky and this isn’t going to escalate.”

Jack jumped as Judy shot between them pinning the large Tiger to the ground. Bogo, along with all the officers in the air yanked their guns and trained them on her as she snarled in his face. 

“CARROTS!”

She didn’t acknowledge she had heard Nick as Jack narrowed his eyes. “Back away!” he hissed as Skye and Clawhauser moved. The officers and firefighters were still watching Bogo as he ground his jaw and shook his head.

“Chief.” Nick almost whispered as his ears pinned back, watching Judy snarling as her paws stayed on his shoulders. “That’s not Packer. A demon can take any shape it chooses.” Bogo looked at the Tiger and lowered his weapon slightly as he noticed both of its ears. The fire Sergeant had lost half of one in a fire shortly after he had started his career, so both of them being intact had him raising a brow. 

“You always were a clever fox.” The tiger hissed as it glanced to Bogo who blinked as its eyes turned red. “So, I don’t understand why you could be so stupid, believing loving someone like her would work. Might as well just dig your own grave.”

“How many have you opened?! How many of my friends and innocent people have you put in one?” Nick growled as he tilted his head, exposing his teeth as Judy snarled again.

“Many more than you know of. Many more before this is over. I ate Wooler this morning so he can be added to the list. He was trying to save that worthless little lamb and Lionheart. Sadly, since none of you will live to tell the story, no one will ever know.”

Guns raised again and every officer growled as the tiger shifted to red skin and roared, opening her wings and using them as a spring behind her back to roll over with Judy until they were both trying to knock each other’s teeth out. Mammals dodged and scrambled as the one Judy was barreling her fists into burst into flames and fell the last remaining wall. Several city employees were burnt and had others scurrying out to get them out of further harm’s way after the fire pulled itself back again. Nick managed to look out from behind the car they had dove behind and watched the heat radiating from them sending the background behind them into ripples and waves. He shook his head looking again and scrunched his nose watching Judy beating her fist into nothing but the ground under her. The pummeling turned to digging claws as she threw bricks and rubble behind her, clawing at the ground.

Bogo was screaming at him again as he rushed in front of her holding his paws up from the heat she was pouring into the air. “CARROTS!”

The bull had pulled his pistol again and all the officers watching followed his lead. “WILDE, MOVE! SHE’S GOING TO CAUSE ANOTHER FIRE!”

“SHE WILL JUMP AND YOU WILL MISS!” Nick growled as he looked back at Bogo shaking his head.

Jack bound to Bogo again and grabbed his wrist, flipping his ears back when the bull growled at him. “Pardon the poorly timed pun, Sir, but in the heat of the moment maybe you didn’t notice that all your officers will be shooting at the tanks if any of you do miss.”

Bogo dropped his weapon looking around and shook his head. He was a sure shot. He couldn’t boast the same for all the other officers. “STAND DOWN!”

“OPEN YOUR DAMN EYES, CARROTS!” Nick screamed as he tried to catch a breath against the heat.

“I do not need to see to kill what I seek! I have already taken the heat she was trying to harm others with!”

Nick hissed against the heat and sucked in a breath before he grabbed the smaller set of horns above her eyes. The fox screamed and she dropped her head, catching the first scent of anything since she’d arrived. Singing fur and skin. Pain. “YOU NEED TO SEE NOT TO KILL ME AND EVERYONE ELSE HERE! YOU CAN’T SMELL THE TANKS THAT ARE THIRTY FEET FROM YOU AND IF THEY EXPLODE YOU WILL KILL US ALL! THIS IS WHAT SHE WANTS!” She tried to blink several times and Nick screamed again. “TURN OFF THE DAMN FURNACE, CARROTS! STOP!” Her horns had started turning blue and cooling under his paws as she heaved.

Jack tilted his head watching the demon bow to the fox. She backed away with each step he took forward, trying to push her away from the tanks. Barely shaking her head and trying to blink until her eyes opened to find him fighting to breath under the heat. Anyone still watching stood in awe as a fox who was half the size of her head seemed to hold her in his grip with paws that barely wrapped around the horns above her eyes and a lowered voice that caused her to shrink with each step he took. Jack and Skye glanced at each other as the heat in the area was pulled away, watching her skin light up with miraged waves that disappeared into her skin. The buck shook his head as the temperature around the area kept dropping. “She’s pulling the heat out of the air.”

“She’s crying.” Skye said as she cupped a paw over her mouth. “Demons can cry? Why would a demon cry?”

Jack narrowed his eyes, stepping past Bogo. “He’s hurt. That’s why. He can’t get his paws off her horns. They’re burnt and she knows she caused it.”

“Can’t she just do what she did before?” Skye asked trying to get a better look.

Jack shook his head. “Do I look like a demonologist to you? Maybe the smaller set doesn’t come off like the bigger ones do. He’s not in any danger anymore, but where did the other one go?”

“Under the ground, I think.” Bogo looked around and grumbled before he was watching Nick again. “OFFICERS ON THE ALERT!” Each officer on the scene started looking around for the other demon as Bogo looked back to Wilde.

The fox was talking, but nothing he said reached any ears but the ones right in front of him. “I knew you had a heart.” Her eyes flashed purple looking at him and she struggled not to growl as he brushed his muzzle along her face. “Take a breath, Carrots, and calm down.”

“You say this as if I do not have a gun to my head and you will pull the trigger!” He looked down and chuckled as her eyes followed his.

“I have a gun, but it really needs a holster. Want to be one for it?” She had shrunk enough that with her on all fours she was just taller than him and he smirked as her face turned blue in a bright blush.

“You make jokes when I have harmed you!”

“I make jokes because I can see you. You can’t cry if you don’t have a heart. You’ve always had a heart, you just lost it in the war you’ve been fighting for so long or you’ve never used it. I told you I’d take the pain for you. I’ll be with you until the end. Don’t give up on me now.”

“I will not give up, but you have made me weak.” She blinked several tears away as Nick smiled.

“I’m pretty sure I can make you stronger again. You need some more bread? I may not be able to bake anything here, but I think I can manage crumbs at least.” He smirked as she looked down at him and giggled. “If that won’t work, I can write you some symphonies or poetry or some romantic shit like that. You’re stuck in my head like a melody I can’t get my mind off of anyway.”

Judy lifted a brow and scrunched her nose at him, but he couldn’t get his mind off the fact that her eyes were staying purple. “You’re head is stuck on me? I think you just want to get your head stuck in me.” He threw his head back laughing and she cringed as he hissed again.

“Damn, she’s onto me.” He snickered as he looked at his paws. “We are going to have to figure out how to get my paws off your horns though.”

Judy sighed and closed her eyes when Nick glanced at his fingers. The fur on the outside was burnt away and Judy flinched as he tried to open them, cringing when the skin cracked and broke open. She yanked the opposite larger horn off careful, not to jostle him. Nick blinked as she tipped it over, watching something blue pouring over her face and his fingers. He curled his lip up as he opened his fingers and looked at his paws gaping. “What is that stuff inside your horns?” He held his paws open as she poured the remaining liquid over his fingers.

“You call them horns, but they are called cornucopia where I am from. The liquid is called yout. It heals, restores, and purifies all it touches and those who drink it in this realm are reborn to this world.” She slammed the horn back to her head and growled as it seemed to repair itself.

“Reborn? Horns of plenty…..” Nick curled his brow and blinked. “Yout? As in, the fountain of youth?”

“It is where the story came from in your history. But nothing like what the stories that are told proclaim.”

“Can all demons heal like that and pull the heat into their bodies like you did?”

She looked at him and sat back on her tail curling her lip. “Yes. The underworld is cold. We are what keeps it warm. We can pull the heat from anything if it gets too high and warm things just as easily. If we can harm, why would we not be able to heal? What do you think each demon was before they became a demon?”

“Hu.” Nick nodded as he looked off in thought. “Angels?”

“No.” she answered. “Mortals have given us the name of demons and devils and we have kept them because there are no other names for us. We are neither demon nor angel. We are Demi-Gods. Lesser of the Gods. Natives of the underworld.”

Nick shook his head. “I’ve never really thought about it, but we are getting off subject.” All he was doing was trying to make sure her focus was on something other than another demon (namely the one she was just trying to devour as the heat around her kept fading.) “So why won’t you be able to do this again for a while?”

“Miracles are not an easy thing even for those meant to create them. I will not be able to do this again for many years. We draw our energy from this world and those in it. Not all energy here is bad, there is just not as much of it around. It takes time to replenish yout and we were not sent here to save others.” She examined his paws and he was smiling as she seemed satisfied with the results.

“I thought you said you were born in this world?”

“I said we were born to one who was cursed in this world. That does not mean we did not exist before we got here. There aren’t many of us who ever walk this plain.” He nodded and smiled again as she looked at him, still holding his reflection in purple eyes.

“Explains why no one can ever find the fountain of youth. I guess it’s not a ‘miracle’ that your ‘parts’ disappeared when we got here around everyone else?”

“No. It isn’t. All demons can shift their shapes and hide what they do not want seen, or create what they want to be seen.”

Nick nodded as he looked her over again. “You know you’re a sexy beast in either form?” She dropped her head smiling at him as her cheeks flushed blue.

Behind them where officers stood watching everything cooling off, a rat with glowing red eyes crawled from the ground, shoving dirt away as she looked around for a familiar color of fur. A yelp turned Nick and Judy as Bogo and Jack looked up wide eyed. “FORT!” Nick ran back to them and Judy rushed forward growling, quickly ascending one of the buildings.

Wolford screamed at the other officers when weapons were raised to the sky. “DON’T SHOOT AT HER! YOU’LL HIT ME!” He swiped at the winged demon hauling him into the air by one arm and one of her claws flew back at him. The wolf screamed as his arm fell and tried to jerk to the side as Judy jumped at them clipping her leg.

“STAND DOWN!” Bogo screamed as he watched Wolford yelp again.

She lifted higher sneering, and laughed when Judy jumped at her again. “Pull me from the air and I will drop him and let him splatter like a bug on a windshield. You have taken everything from me, and I will take it back!”

“I DON’T EVEN KNOW WHO YOU ARE!” Judy growled watching Wolford cringing each time her wings flapped while he tried to hold his injured arm to his chest.

“YOU. WILL.” She growled.

Nick shook his head as she shot into the air screaming. “CARROTS!” Judy looked back at him still scowling with her face curled in anger. “DON’T LET HER GET AWAY WITH HIM! WE WILL NEVER SEE HIM AGAIN!”

She shot to each roof top following the dark wings in the sky as Bogo sat on an overturned car shaking his head and cupping his temple. “We have no way to know where they are going or track them.”

Nick was pacing angrily and shaking his head looking at the sky as several officers approached them waiting for orders from Bogo. “I met this couple I thought was nuts…” He was mumbling as Longfang glanced at a wolf next to him from another district. “What did he say…something about the moon that lights the path…hidden cliffs and fading lights. Hidden things that shine?”

Longfang perked his ears. “That’s the wolf mantra.”

Everyone there looked at him as the wolf next to him jarred him with an elbow. Bogo sighed and stood up. He had little patience for the twins he had separated after partnering the brothers. In less than six months he had transferred Gary to another district after every arrest they made turned into a fiasco because they argued constantly, often escalating already tense situations. “Larry- we aren’t supposed to tell anyone that!”

“Well someone already did, Gary. If it helps get Wolford back, I don’t think anyone is going to care!”

“HEY! DOUBLEMINT TWINS!” Nick screamed and they both snapped their heads to him frowning. “My partner is up there! My girl is chasing them down! What the hell does it mean?!”

“It’s talking about Dante’s peak.” When Nick shook his head, Gary rolled his eyes. “The nine circles of hell?” He asked as Larry nodded.

“Technically there are twelve because one level has three rings.”

“Can you count? Every level is divided into sections. There’s more than that! Hades is the wealthiest God because all the earth ores are from his kingdom! He just likes jewelry. Those are just the rings Hades has on his fingers and it’s just a metaphor.” Gary argued as Larry looked at him scowling.

“How would you know- have you ever been to Hell? What does that have to do with this?!”

Bogo snorted but they both glanced at him and shrugged, turning back to each other growling before Nick held both his paws up and motioned for them to come loser. The fox grabbed their heads and knocked them together growling. Both wolves glared at him rubbing their temples as Nick held his paws up again with his fingers pinched against his thumbs. “DUM DUMS! -FOCUS!”

Larry scowled and rolled his eyes. “Look to the moon that lights the path of the hidden cliffs when all other light fades. To the side of all things hidden that will soon shine. Its talking about the dark side of the moon. The moon goes dark but the next time it shows up it shines brighter because its full again. The best place to see it and the closest you can get to it in Zootopia is Dante’s Peak.”

“It’s not called that anymore, Larry.” Gary growled as Larry sneered at him “It’s called Cliffside. They built a hospital there. Before they built it, the wolves used to go there to meet when Zootopia was first founded and they all howled together after creating the cops.”

Nick growled. “I’d love to hear your version of the Divine Comedy but not right now- let’s go. She’s going to need help.”

“Well how the hell do you think we are going to do any good!” They both asked and looked at each other frowning.

Nick balled his fists and looked at Jack shaking his head. “A little help?”

Jack looked at Clawhauser as his ears fell. “There is a knife at the station in evidence we might need. It’s said it can kill a demon. The Devils Key. Can we get it?”

Clawhauser flipped his ears up and looked at Bogo. The bull gave his approval and told the officers there to assist and help any others who had been injured as Jack looked at his truck and sighed. Bogo grabbed the keys from Longfang and tossed them to Jack. “The rest of you officers, lock and load. You can follow us to Cliffside.” He looked at Nick and scowled. “You need a shirt, Wilde. You can meet us there after you get one from the station. My officers aren’t running around looking like that.”

“REALLY?! I need to be there!”

“You will be there. With a shirt on. Or you can stay at the station.” The bull snorted and pointed to the squad car Jack was helping Skye into. Nick rolled his eyes, cursing under his breath as he jumped into the backseat with Clawhauser….


	25. Intersections that Wilde Into Place

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Everything slides into place

Ah Ha-: Take on me

Smash into Pieces; Let Me Be Your Superhero*

The corners of the room were dark as a pair of eyes searched, trying to see if anything was moving. Lionheart stepped closer to the glass wall clutching one of his legs and tried to jar the door open, growling as he stepped back looking around. “That isn’t going to do any good.”

“SMELLWETHER!” He screamed as he looked back at her with his chest puffing out. “YOU AREN’T HELPING, SO BE QUIET!”

“OH- BITE ME YOU POMPOUS ASS!” Dawn screamed as she growled at him under a light that made her face look down-right sinister.

“YOU-

“YOU WHAT?!” The little ewe may as well have knocked him on his rear with the shock from hearing her nearly roar in voice that might have rivaled his. “I WOULDN’T EVEN BE HERE IF IT WASN’T FOR YOU! I PICK UP YOUR FORGOTTEN PAPERWORK, RESCHEDULE ALL YOUR APPOINTMENTS AND RAN YOUR CAMPAIGN! WHAT DID I GET FOR IT! THE ONLY REASON I CAME HERE WAS TO MAKE SURE YOU WERE SAFE! I SIGN EVERYTHING YOU FORGET, DRAW UP AND PLAN ALL THE DOCUMENTS FOR THE CITY AND NEVER COMPLAIN! I’VE BEEN AFRAID TO SAY ANYTHING BECAUSE I DIDN’T WANT TO LOSE MY JOB!” Her voice dropped as he watched her shaking her head looking out the large glass windows with holes she was almost small enough to fit through. “I thought I was making things better for us, for the smaller ones who always got stepped on and shoved out of the way. You never see me. You don’t care about how I feel. You just…used me and my fear to order me around like I was, nothing. Fear always works. Now I’m going to die here because I never said anything.” He stepped closer to the wall and she screamed as he nearly touched the plants growing all over the old building. “STAY AWAY FROM THE FLOWERS! I ALREADY TOLD YOU THEY ARE POISONOUS AND WILL MAKE YOU CRAZY!” She turned around puckering her lips as her eyes watered. “MAYBE YOU SHOULD JUST EAT SOME OF THEM SO I DON’T HAVE TO WAIT FOR THAT THING TO COME BACK AND GET IT OVER WITH!” She turned shaking her head with a wobbling lip as Lionheart’s shoulders cinched up. “At least I didn’t have to watch him die, but the screaming was bad enough. You weren’t worth him dying over…YOU UNGRATEFUL, GIGANTIC …PUSSY CAT!” 

“Bellwether. I only came because I was told you were here and were in trouble.”

“DO YOU THINK THAT MAKES ME FEEL ANY BETTER! I MEAN GODS FORBID YOUR LITTLE GOPHER ISN’T THERE FOR YOU TO SLAM DOORS IN HER FACE, IGNORE HER WHEN THERE ARE A DOZEN MEETINGS YOU HAVE SCHEDULED AT THE SAME TIME BECAUSE YOU DON’T CHECK, OR YOU MISS A MEETING I HAVE TO COVER FOR!” He sighed and tried to touch one of her shoulders and she turned slapping his paw away. “DON’T TOUCH ME!” The little ewe’s face lifted as -Lionheart turned back to the glass, listening to the whistling coming down the hall.

Her ears shot up and she ran to the window as the whistling stopped and the words of an old song echoed through the abandoned building covered in dark blue flowers. Several lights flipped on and they looked across the hall seeing a badger in a white lab coat and a little ferret sitting there looking the same way, before they tried to duck under the flat metal hanging from the wall that formed a prison cell type bed hung with heavy bars suspended from below it. 

“Goodbye to you my trusted friend, we’ve known each other since we were nine or ten. Together we’ve climbed hills and trees, learned of love and A.B.C.’s, skinned our heart and skinned our knees. Goodbye my friend it’s hard to die, when all the birds are singing in the sky. Now that spring is in the air, pretty girls are everywhere, all the flowers here and there.”

“Eric? You’re alive! Let us out before it comes back!” Dawn asked stepping to the glass and he lowered his head smiling as he kept singing.

“We had joy we had fun, we had seasons in the sun. But the hills that we climbed were just seasons out of time.” His horns lowered and she leaned away as he sang again. “Goodbye Papa it’s hard to die, when all the birds are singing in the sky. Goodbye to Dawn my little one, you gave me love and helped me find the sun, and every time that I was down you would always come around, you got my feet back on the ground….”

Lionheart curled his lip as Dawn stepped back. “You’re his...”

“Son.” Wooler growled as Dawn stepped away again frowning. “Why so sheepish now?”

“We’ve known each other since we were kits!”

“You mean…before I saw what you really wanted?” She dipped her head looking away when he sneered at her. “I had a different mother than all my brothers and sisters. Of course, you wouldn’t know that because she was gone right after I was born. He asked us for two things. To make sure they never got any information out of him, and to make sure they never got any information, out of you. I had to find out what all you had told anyone else. This oaf was just the easiest way to get you both in the same place at the same time.” He pointed at Lionheart and shook his head.

Dawn shook as she dropped her chin. “Us? Why, all this - here?” She looked around and Wooler tipped his head looking back at the other cell across from them. A loud roar had him grinning and they all moved further back as a winged demon flew down the hall, tossing a wolf across the floor. Wolford groaned as his head knocked into a wall and fought the stars as his vision spun. 

The demon landed next to Wooler and looked in at them snarling. “Us. The rams who work as the prison’s security are all his children. Doug was more than happy to give me his life and his soul in exchange for certainty.” 

Lionheart glared as it towered several feet over him, but didn’t move as Wooler chuckled. “She’s a little miracle worker. She found me, and my father didn’t even know I was looking for him. After she heard my story, all she wanted in return was a few seeds. Getting them wasn’t that hard, but the otter had to be the one who made sure the first few germinated properly so she could speed things up. She has a green thumb, puts out enough heat for this place to be its own district. The flowers love it. The badger, well without my father to create the Night howler solution, we needed a scientist. He couldn’t get it to us with them watching him the way they were. You, since we’ve known each other for so long and were already dating, well that was simple. You’re no different than that lion and by the time this is over you’ll get exactly what you deserve along with everyone else.”

“You can’t get away with this! They already know about the night howlers! Why bother?” Dawn asked as she looked to Lionheart who was growling lowly. 

The demon laughed. “I don’t want it for the predators. My tastes are far less… restrictive. I was never accepted by predators or prey. I was too big for my own species because of an overactive pituitary gland. I didn’t have the right teeth for predators or prey, so when I came to this country, the parents who adopted me had them pulled out. It just made me hate you all a little more. The thing with a demon is; you keep what you corrupt. Every soul I corrupt is mine. The more I have, the stronger I become. It won’t matter if they know what causes them to go savage or not, a killer, is a killer. Even if just being a killer wasn’t enough, the guilt and understanding for doing it would still eat a soul until it was mine. You never see yourselves for what you truly are, you lie yourselves into believing you are better or worse than the truth of what you are. You people make yourselves guilty with the understanding of what has been done. You will be the first we test things on. I’m curious about the badger and the otter though. Which one do you think will kill the other?” She asked looking back at them as Otterton and Badger looked at each other and sighed.

“You’re a police officer! How can you do this!” Dawn screamed.

Wooler looked at her scowling as she threw her paws out. “Why do you think I became a cop? I was trying to find my father. Did you think I would be a better guy just because of you?” He asked sneering. Lionheart growled as he stepped closer to the glass. “She led me right to him.”

The demon standing next to Wooler giggled. “My demon and I are very…close. It was kept on a leash for many years, but in that time, because of how things were with the one it had originally possessed, it learned how to see into people’s minds. Their fantasies, secrets, fears, all the things they wanted the most. It also learned it was not given a choice and hates your kind for the same reasons. Wooler knew all about both of you and your little problems, because I told him. At first I was worried about how much you knew about the Night Howler case.” Lionheart blinked as he looked between the red skinned demon and Bellwether who sighed and shook her head. “But you don’t listen to anything she says, do you, Lionheart? And you, sweet little Dawn? You never loved Eric. You were no better at picking who you fell in love with than the job you chose. You just went along with Wooler because it was what was expected of you and looked good. You were using him just like the lion used you, to get somewhere better. If anyone knew the truth, well now that would just be a career killer wouldn’t it? For both of you.” Lionheart shook his head and looked at Dawn as she dropped her ears. “I’m sure you’ll figure it out…or not. In a couple of hours, it won’t matter. The sprinkler system here just needs to build some pressure before it releases the Night Howler serum through the building. I’ll make sure it gets warm enough.” She smirked as the lion looked back at her curling his lips. He watched her heave a large turn wheel that sent their eyes to clanking pipes above their heads. “We have company coming, Eric.”

“YOU LET SOMEONE FOLLOW YOU HERE?!” Wooler screamed. 

She tilted her chin and narrowed her eyes, turning and looking down at the ram as her head dropped. “I always have contingency plans. Do you think I chose this place because it’s pretty!? There is one road in, and one road out, no way to get to this building, or get away from it once they get past that road.” Wooler bowed his head and snickered. The demon looked at Wolford as he tried to shake the sight of dozens of the two of them standing in front of him out of his eyes. The wolf yelped as she grabbed one of his ankles and Wooler followed her as she dragged him into another room.

Dawn sighed and jumped onto a low bed close to the floor as Lionheart took a seat on the floor looking at his leg. “I’m sorry you got hurt.”

He shook his head and shrugged. “I’m sorry I didn’t listen. I didn’t treat you very well. I’m the reason you’re here. I just got so busy I lost sight of all the things you were doing.”

“I am a little short.”

He chuckled as he stuck one arm up on a propped knee. “That’s really not an excuse for treating someone so big, like they are so small when they are the reason you are where you are.”

Dawn blinked as she looked at him. “You came here because of me?”

He nodded as he looked across the hall, watching the badger and otter coming closer to the glass and looking down the hall. “You’re the whole reason I got this job, I couldn’t do it without you.” Dawn frowned and he cleared his throat. “I uhm, also like you, just a little bit though.” He held one paw above her head and one below her feet and smiled as she laughed. “What did it mean? Your little problem?” The ewe closed her eyes and shook her head as Lionheart cleared his throat again. “Mine is a small problem.” When she looked up at him, he glanced across the hall and threw his paws up. “There was an accident when I was born. Something commonplace for most males went wrong and an infection set in. I lost something that’s significant for a lion my size.” She made a funny face and he looked up at the ceiling, raising one leg and propping his arm back on his knee again. Dawn leaned forward as he used one finger to point and covered her mouth.

“You…lost it?”

“Most of it.” He mumbled as she cupped one of her cheeks.

“No wonder you’re always in a bad mood!” 

He laughed before he leaned forward and sighed. “I forgot what it was like talking to you like this. So, what is it? The little secret? Was what she said true? You didn’t love him?”

Dawn dropped her head and nodded. “I was trying to. I knew the person I fell in love with would never love me and it just wasn’t possible. I never told him I loved him, but I thought me and Wooler could maybe have something….” She sighed as Lionheart nodded.

“So, the other guy?”

She laughed as she looked across the hall, watching the little otter talking to the badger. “He probably doesn’t even remember me. He told me once that he could weather anything because I –

“Would always answer when he rang a bell…..” Lionheart gaped as she clutched the bell around her neck and looked back at him red faced. “I gave you that……I’m the?” He sighed as he looked back down the hall to where Wooler and the demon had gone….

Wooler watched the demon toss Wolford into a chair and tie his wrists to the arms before she turned around and smiled. “I have plans with the dog, but I need help getting ready for our guests.”

“What do you want me to do?”

“I need something to wear.” 

“Like what? There’s nothing here that would fit you… Is there? I can go get it for you.” When he looked her over shaking his head with his face scrunched up, she smiled wider.

“It’s already here, but I only wear red.” Wolford’s head flew to the side as Wooler screamed. He cringed several times at the sounds of crunching and his eyes clamped tighter as heat poured over his face. “If you don’t look at me, I’ll chew off your leg.” He heaved as he cracked his eyes open and found glowing red eyes in front of him, licking the blood off her paws. “Don’t you know me?” she asked as his head spun. When he blinked a few times, she let her head fall in a coy smile. “Red is a beautiful color.”

“Ginger?” he shook his head watching her grin wider and Wolford heaved several times. “YOU KILLED D.J.!”

“Oh yes, yes, yes! I did!” She almost chirped as he shook his head. “That stupid wolf hurt you, so I had to hurt her. Seeing Nick get hurt, hurt you, so, I took care of that too.”

“YOU - I’LL KILL YOU!” Wolford clenched his eyes shut and she jerked back as his teeth snapped at her. 

“OOOHH! Keep that up and I’ll have you!” His face fell when she plopped in front of him nodding as the larger set of horns on her head caught fire. The demon let her wings fan out and watched him clenching his fists into balls as he curled his lips over his teeth.

“You will never have me.” He growled and she leaned forward, curling her lips at him as both their teeth flared.

Wolford blinked as she started smiling again. “I can’t deny that you cops are delicious. If you can corrupt the purest of souls do you know what happens? You can actually rule this world, and the underworld. What makes you think- you- were ever, the one I really wanted?” 

Wolford blinked as she leapt to an open window laughing…..

Finnick sneered as he looked at the nurse he had followed into the nursing home. He had taken another fall, intentionally trying to get her somewhere he could talk to her and growled as she rolled her eyes looking him over. “We are as frustrated as you are, but we can’t let you leave until we figure out where you belong and get an identity verification. If what you have been saying is true, you’ll be lucky if they don’t throw you in jail for fraud.”

The small fox smirked as she turned, watching her tail twitching in frustration against the naturally slender frame all Caracul cats carried and sighed. “I really didn’t want to have to do this.”

When she turned back, the chart she had been holding hit the floor as both her paws shot to the walls. Her claws dug into the drywall as she heaved, and one paw created a cross from her head across her chest. "Oh Dioses! ¡Ayúdame! ¡El Diablo vive en la forma de los ángeles, muertos y se fueron al cielo!"

Finnick crossed one leg over the other, preening the black tipped ears that matched hers. “You think that just because I’m a Devil, I will cause you problems? Even a demon can grant a last request.”

The cat tipped her ears back, sliding along the wall as she shook her head watching him. “You are not my Michela! I will not believe your lies! You will not move me to Evil!”

“I will not lie about anything, and you can move however you like. I am not Michela. But this is his body. Every molecule an exact copy, down to the last whisker. Every memory you have in your mind sits here, as do all his that reflect yours. I do not mean to sway you to Evil. I will not take anything from you that you do not offer, or give you something you do not wish for, but you really don’t want anything do you? Just some time, to say goodbye. To tell him how you feel.”

She blinked as her eyes glittered and Finnick smiled as her nostrils flared. “You have his memories? He is…”

“No.” Finnick glanced away from her shaking his head. “He is in a good place. The memories I have only reflect what you remember of him. The way he acted, the way he smelled, the way he laughed. The way he made you laugh. The way he loved you.”

“Why would you tell me such a thing?” she almost growled as he tipped his ears back.

“I’m not lying. If I meant to cause you harm or injury your heart, I would tell you he is in hell. He is not.”

The female cat, usually referred to as a Queen by the cat community, stepped closer with her whiskers twitching and Finnick kept a soft smile as she reached for his face. He waited until she had come close enough to be eye to eye with him to flash his red eyes, watching her jerk away as his ears pinned back. “It was not meant to frighten you. It is only meant to remind you of what I truly am. Whatever choice you make, must be yours and yours alone.”

“You...can be him? What is it you want in return?”

“To leave this place.”

“I will let you out and you will disappear, harm others?!”

“No. I will stay with you.”

“For how long? Show me him, the way he spoke to me.” Finnick nodded as she watched him warily.

“For as long as you need me to be here, I will stay to help you find closure. Me quedaré, hasta que ya no me necesites. Lolita, mi pequeña niña de las flores del desierto.” Finnick jumped as she wrapped around him and closed his eyes, burying his nose in her neck, purring as his arms curled around her. 

She walked him out the front doors with her less than half an hour later and he watched her looking him over as he waited. “If you are a demon why would you do anything for someone else? I expect you to leave as soon as I have turned my back on you or drag me to hell.”

“Because I’m a demon I can’t appreciate making someone else feel better? I can’t appreciate pain and loss or what it can do to the soul?” She looked him over nervously as he waited again. “I know you expect me to leave as soon as you turn. I’ll prove you wrong. Why would a demon do something for someone else? Because I asked it of the demon. Because even a demon can decide on their own destiny.”

“Asked?” her ears tipped to him as she took several steps to her car and he walked to the opposite door, taking a seat inside after she had motioned to him. “You will not turn me to hell for even tempting me?”

“I don’t make the same mistake twice. This is the second demon I’ve had try to possess me. A demon can possess and take over if someone has no control or acceptance of and over themselves. It isn’t something I’ve had a problem with very often, so I controlled the demon once I understood what it was.”

“A demon is evil. How can you control it?”

“Do I look evil to you? A demon is just a soul. I’m not controlling it. I gave it a choice. It can stay with me or go back where it came from, because I’m not going to let it hurt anyone. It knows nothing of this world, and I am…Hehehe, my name is well known in the underworld for doing this because no one ever had before. I think …no, I know there has already been another law made because I was cursed again. If it stays, we will become one person.”

“The Devil and its demons are the root of all evil. You can see into my mind, isn’t that proof enough?” She cringed as he turned his head looking at her and chuckled in a voice she had missed hearing for almost five years.

“There is no such place as heaven or hell. The underworld is just different. I can stop looking into your mind if it’s what you wish.”

“I do. It’s rude and invasive.”

“Alright, I won’t look anymore. So, you believe a demon, or a devil is the root of all evil? I’ve heard money is the root of all evil… Or is it lust? Sex? Love? Greed, power, envy, gluttony? Maybe its Vanity?” He asked as she watched him with her ears flipping back and forth. He chuckled as he looked back at her shaking his head. “What if they aren’t? People who say something is the root of all evil are either very unfamiliar with it, or know exactly what it is. Evil, is the root of all evil. Evil can make anything, anyone, the cause of its power, or people can make something evil with how they see it or twist it. All sentient beings have the power for good and evil in them. Someone who is evil, can make everything look like something it’s not. Cast suspicion on things or people it doesn’t belong with. Everyone has moments of weakness and strength, but some-one, is only evil, if that is what they want to be.”

Her ears flipped to her head and she glanced off in thought for a second before she took a heavy breath. “Can you, just be you then?” She asked and looked back to find him staring at her as he nodded slowly. The cat blinked and it was all the time it took for a small fennec fox to be sitting in the passenger seat as she cocked her head. His eyes flashed red and he mirrored the gesture as she smiled. “I think I am very curious about both of you. There is no hell?”

“Well, you are a cat. No there isn’t a hell. Just a different place to be.” 

She shivered and looked back at him narrowing her eyes. “You know I have nine lives?”

The small fox laughed as she flipped the arm rests up and tapped the seat for him to come closer. “I can become Michela again.”

“Your name is Finnick? What is the demons name?”

He nodded and scrunched his nose. “Demons don’t have names. They don’t have any use for them. Though someone did suggest something I thought was rather amusing not long ago.” She cocked her head as he scooted over and chuckled. “Something about a horny little devil.”

“Is it?” She asked with raised brows and watched him shaking his head. 

“It hasn’t been anything like that, yet. But I have explained it.”

“We’ll see then?”

Finnick laughed at her as she started the car and pulled away from the nursing home, ticking her eyes to him while she smirked. “I thought you were in a hurry to get back to something.” 

He flicked his ears back and sighed. “I don’t think anyone is going to miss me too much and I’m pretty sure the few people I do care about will be safe until I get back. They have their minds on something else and the new connection I have with this demon isn’t strong enough to see what is going on yet. I don’t think they will be missing me.”

She frowned as she stopped the car and looked down at him. “It seemed like you were worried about something. You aren’t speaking the same as you were before, but I’d like to know how there is no heaven or hell.”

“I can explain all of that later. As for speaking differently, demons have lived for centuries and are highly educated. I am letting it speak and listen with a certain amount of control so it can decide if it wants to stay. I am a little worried about my friends. I was pretty sure when I left that they would keep each other safe, but I’ve never met anyone who wanted to get to know me and the demon with me. It’s usually more a…” He sighed and shrugged. “It’s hard to explain, but I think we would both like to spend some time with you. You didn’t get to say goodbye to him, was there something else you wanted from him other than that?”

“This is making me horribly uncomfortable because no one should just be using you to find something.”

Finnick blinked and smiled and she looked down at him as he shrugged. “I’ve never seen it that way but it’s hard to see things from the other side of the fence sometimes. I just liked being able to make someone happy.”

“Temporary happiness isn’t real.”

“Not all things are temporary. You have to live in the moment sometimes. I did get a mild impression of something you wanted and didn’t get. That could be permanent, and yours.”

“Could you really do… that? I don’t know if I think it’s right. You were in such a hurry to get out of there.”

He chuckled as her cheeks flushed. “I’ve never done it before, but we are both being flat out honest, I don’t see why I couldn’t. Just so you know, I’m not the purest of all souls and never have been. I’m fairly certain that the person I was worried about has someone watching over him.”  
\----------------------------------------------------------------

Nick slammed his locker and rushed up the stairs, throwing his arms in the sleeves as Jack stood with Skye. He didn’t bother getting the undershirt he would usually wear as he stopped in front of the desk. Clawhauser was huffing as he returned from the evidence lockers and the buck looked at Nick frowning as one of his feet tapped the floor. The fox sighed and puffed his cheeks, trying to calm his nerves as Jack looked through the box and stuffed the large knife into his pocket. Nick and Skye looked at him funny and he shrugged it off as he turned with both of them jumping to follow him out the door. “You said you knew someone who knew about this curse, Wilde?” 

“Yeah.” Nick shot reaching for the door handle and climbed into the backseat as Jack and Skye jumped in the front. “But I told you I haven’t been able to get in touch with him. He’s not answering his phone. I have no idea where he is.” He picked up his phone letting it ring several times after hitting Finnick’s contact. “There’s still no answer.” Nick looked up as Jack hit the brakes and let his jaw fall. Tundra Town was frozen in a complete gridlock from all the mammals who had evacuated Savanna Central. 

“Is there any other way to get to Cliffside from here?” Jack looked back at him and Nick shook his head. He growled as Jack looked at Skye watching many of the mammals screaming in aggravation or with disgusted looks as they took disheveled, slouched positions in their cars. 

When the fox got out of the car looking at everything and pulled his phone from his pocket, Jack and Skye both stuck their heads out their windows trying to listen over the screaming and blaring horns. “Troll.” He hissed as Duke picked up the phone. 

“Give me a minute.” Duke curled his lip looking around before he shooed everyone out of the shop and flipped the closed sign to display against the outside of the door. “How do you know that name?” 

“I guess they call you ‘NEO’ the Chosen O- Nicks ear’s set as Duke sighed. The weasel stuck his jaw in his palm scowling as Nick laughed. “OH, GODS I GUESSED IT!” The fox could hear Duke’s claws drumming as he grumbled.

“Mr. Anderson.” Nick smirked as he looked back at Jack and Skye. They ticked their eyes to each other when he glanced at them with his teeth flashing. “I know everybody. There’s a grid lock in Tundra Town and I need to get past the Jungle District ten minutes ago. Make it happen.”

Duke growled and went into the back room pulling up several screens. “I can do anything on the screens, Nick. But I’m not a miracle worker out there in the real world. Not when I can see what the problem is already and know where it is you want to get to. I don’t know what to tell you.”

“If you can see it, I already know you’ve been listening with that thing in your ear you don’t think anyone ever notices. You’re supposedly the John Wayne of bootlegging and piracy on the internet so you better find me some miracles or I’ll make sure everyone calls you The Duke because your life is going to be shit by the time I’m done. The name will match the color of your fur! It will be a miracle if you have a life when this is over.”

Weaselton cursed as he pulled up several screens and started typing. The way Nick was avoiding saying his name and danced around it as he pulled up the camera system implied a threat he wasn’t about to ignore. Duke blinked and curled his lip as he spotted Nick and the two agents sticking their heads out the car windows behind him as the fox growled. “Get me a clear shot to Cliffside now. If I lose my partner or my bunny without even having the chance to help them? I’ll be coming for you. I will make sure everyone knows exactly who you are. How long do you think it will take for you to lose everything, a day? Two? You have a pretty good take on me, do you want to take me on? Try me… or do you think it’s better to be safe than sorry?”

“What the hell am I helping you for! You’re a Cop!” 

“Ten minutes ago, Mr. Anderson.” 

Duke clenched his jaw when the line went dead, and his fingers were rushing over the keys as he growled. 

Nick jumped on the hood of the car and rushed up the windshield. He stood on the roof and looked around as Jack tipped a brow. When his head dropped with a wicked grin as all the lights turned green, Jack blinked as the traffic started moving, watching Nick jump back into the car through an open back window. The buck slid back behind the wheel and looked into the back seat as Nick held his phone to his ear. The fox had spotted a car in the middle of everything when he was standing on the roof. “Boris?” A grunt and the fox chuckled as leaned back in the seat. “Is Mr. Big with you?” Jack looked at Skye frowning before he looked back at Nick and curled his lip listening. “I need a favor. I need some diplomatic immunity all the way to the freeway.” The fox laughed as he hung up and looked at Jack smiling as the rabbit shook his head. “Drive on the curb and get up behind that white limo a few blocks ahead of us.”

Jack narrowed his eyes. “Do you know how illegal everything you are doing right now is?” 

Nick looked back at him flat faced and crossed his arms over his chest. “Tell me how everything you do is by the book, Jack? Those stripes under that dye aren’t straight, so don’t tell me you’ve never cut corners, red tape, or used your influence to keep things looking all straight and narrow when they aren’t.”

When Jack looked across the front seat and watched Skye deadpan him, he was grumbling under his breath as he slowly moved the squad car out of traffic and onto the curb as she flipped the lights on. Skye giggled as Jack grumbled. “I’m beginning to see why not doing things by the book, is a problem.” 

Nick chuckled as Skye looked back at him smiling. The buck crawled to a stop watching as several polar bears stuck up flags on a white limo and looked back at Nick in shock as he chuckled. “They aren’t diplomatic flags. But if Mr. Big needs to get somewhere in a hurry and anyone sees a white limo with red flags, they’ll move faster than if it was an emergency vehicle trying to get out of his way. No one is sure what would happen if they did get in his way, and no one wants to find out.”

“And you’re friendly with the mob, because?” Jack asked shaking his head as Nick shot him a smart assed grin.

“You know who Boris Polaris is?” Jack nodded as he frowned, and Nick snickered. “Aria was my mother.”

Skye watched Jack turn in the seat and cover is mouth before he pulled behind the limo. The cars took off and Nick picked up his phone when it rang. Duke sighed as he looked at the screens. “I got Mr. Big on the phone. You get on the highway at the next exit and it’s a clear shot to Cliffside. You’ll run right into Chief Bogo and the others at the turnpike.”

“Nice, I owe you one.”

“You’re damn right you do, Wilde. You got any idea how many laws I just broke getting into the traffic system and changing the lights?” 

“Aww, it warms my heart to hear you shying away from breaking the law! Yeah, don’t act like it’s the first time you’ve done that as fast as you got it done, and talked to Big? You knew what I was thinking. This isn’t the first time you’ve watched what’s going on and probably not the first time you’ve gotten involved. I know better and so do you. Maybe you will get that government job as a secret agent hacker after impressing them both today.” Duke growled and Skye looked at Jack before they both ticked their eyes to the back seat, listening to Nick chuckle as he hung up. The fox leaned to the front of the seat as Jack drove up the offramp and the car jerked as they nearly sideswiped several police vehicles that veered trying to avoid the limo. 

Nick waved as the limo dropped back and watched Jack shaking his head as the bull glared at them. Larry looked out Bogo’s window from the passenger seat shaking his head. “This day can’t get any stranger. What were those things we saw earlier?” Bogo had grabbed the wolf after moving squad cars around at the last scene because Swinton had taken their squad car and he’d paired Delgato with his brother after giving Jack Larry’s car. Fangmeyer had left him alone trying to help emergency workers with a few larger patients, assisting in transport with ambulance workers. Out of the two twins, Larry happened to be the one Bogo had kept in District One and it was decided with which one had irritated him the most. Larry just happened to be the one who didn’t fit the bill that day. 

Bogo looked at the officer watching the limo falling off the highway and sighed as he returned his focus to driving. He caught the position of all the other vehicles as he left the highway, going down a long winding road that had been carved away from rocks on each side. “Longfang, when you’ve been doing this as long as I have you don’t question things when you are trying to deal with them. I don’t even try anymore. They say lightning doesn’t strike in the same place twice, but I’ve been hit by it twice. Literally. You can think about it to your heart and minds content after the dust has settled and try to figure it all out later. Try to do it while you are dealing with something you don’t understand or can’t believe, and you won’t be able to handle whatever it is. All I know is that everyone seems to know that thing was a bunny and she is with Wilde, who is on our side.”

Larry looked back at the squad car watching Nick talking to Jack and Skye. “And I thought his last girlfriend was strange.” 

Roxie rolled over and watched a pretty sow with red lipstick talking to someone in the hall she couldn’t see. Someone too short to see through the window. The pig rushed down the hall as her radio went off. She looked at her paws and rolled over as she heard a deeper voice laughing. The doe pulled the blankets over her head, ignoring the wheels she heard coming into the room as she fought not to sniffle, catching her reflection in a vase sitting next to her bed. “Hey….?” A low voice asked as she curled herself into a ball and ignored him. “Hey, you alright?”

“I’m old and wrinkled, I look like death. No one will ever want me now.”

She missed the heavy sigh and curled the blanket around her face as a squeaky wheel bumped her bed, jostling her into low sobbing as she tried to bury herself in the blanket. “You shouldn’t think like that. My uncle is almost eighty years old and he’s the happiest person in the world. He just lost everything he owned and is happy because he’s still alive. He’ll tell you he’s ugly too. It doesn’t matter what you look like and no matter what you lost you can always find someone who will love you for who you are, not what you have or how you look.”

“Right.” She sobbed as she balled up tighter. “No guy is interested in anything from an ugly girl. They only want you for one thing and if you can’t get somewhere with the way you look before you get old, you’ll never get anywhere.”

“Whew, somebody really taught you everything wrong. Nobody thinks like that. It can’t be all that bad.”

“OH YEAH?!” She screamed as she threw the blanket off and sat up glaring at him. When the wolf in the wheelchair in front of her just stared without blinking she buried her face in her paws and cried. “SEE! I TOLD YOU I W-

“Wow.” He almost gasped as the corners of his lips pulled up.

Her ears shot up staring at him as she dropped her brow and he tipped his head almost smiling as she grabbed the vase, pulling it closer to her face and shaking her head at her own reflection. “Can you see or are you just high?!”

Snarlov scratched his neck and nodded. “I am a little ‘high’.” She cinched her shoulders up looking at his face and the bandages covering the top half of his body, neck, and cheek. “Can you see?” He asked leaning a little closer and looking at her again. “I’ve never met an albino Angora rabbit before, but I can see just fine.” 

“I’m not an albino rabbit…” She sniffled and watched the wolf leaning closer looking her over.

“Your fur is white, and your eyes are red. Isn’t that the definition of an albino rabbit? You look purer than undriven snow.”

The doe jumped from the bed running to the mirror over a small sink and broke into tears seeing her reflection. “My eyes are blue! Blue! Not red! My fur is supposed to be black! I feel like a monster!”

“We all feel like that sometimes but it...” Snarlov sighed as she rushed from the room and wheeled out the door watching her stopping several mammals before her ears sank. She slipped back into the room with him wheeling back to the bed as she folded in on herself. Each person she had stopped and asked gave her the version of her they saw and had her falling into her own nightmare as she caught her own reflection in the vase again. “Ms.?” The wolf in front of her saw her as the opposite of what she saw herself as, in her weakest moment. She looked at him with tears streaming down her face as he shook his head. “What’s wrong?”

“I’m….Where am I?” she asked and he leaned back watching her looking around like she was lost.

“You’re at Mercy General.”

“Who are you and how did I get here?”

“My name is Daniel Snarlov. They brought you from The Savanah District. Did you get hurt?”

“I…don’t remember. Why am I upset?” She wiped her face off looking at him as both his brows lifted. 

Snarlov pinned his ears back as she kept looking at her fur. “They didn’t get your name when they brought you in because everything was crazy. What’s your name?” She blinked as her lip curled. “You don’t remember your name?” When she frowned, he cringed. “Does your head hurt at all?” Snarlov grabbed the wheels and turned his chair as she shook her head. “Let me get a doctor in here.” 

“Wait…I, what if I never remember anything? What if I’m dreaming and you don’t come back either?”

“Well, think about it for a minute. There are always things people wish they could forget. If you never remember, you get to start all over again. Everything will be O.K. You’ll see. You aren’t dreaming, and don’t worry I’ll be back. If you aren’t here when I get back, I’ll find you again. Wolf.” He pointed at his nose and nodded. Roxie stood up and took a few steps towards him and the wolf backed his head away as she leaned over his chair. “You can’t just try to kiss someone you just met. Somebody taught you all wrong.” 

She stumbled and he caught her wrist, scowling as her eyes rolled back again. “Taught me what wrong?”

“Ms.? Are you alright?”

“Who are you? Where am I? Everything is spinning.” She clutched her temples and fell forward, trying to back away and he groaned when she hit his chest. “I’m sorry. I just need to…”

Snarlov blinked as she looked around. “Maybe you should come with me so we can get some help. Besides, anyone who would leave you by yourself is out of their mind.” He clenched his eyes and hissed. “Oh, that sounded a little creepy didn’t it? I’m not a stalker or anything like that.”

“Superhero’s always hide, don’t they? Even Batmammal can be a little creepy, but he’s always saving someone. I think it’s a little sweet.”

“Batmammal? You remember that and not your name?” Snarlov chuckled as her cheeks flushed. “I suppose some mammals have seen me as a superhero. I am a cop.” He caught her weight again as her eyes fluttered and groaned as he lifted her into his lap. The doe was out cold as he started screaming for someone to come help. “NURSE!”


	26. Cliffside Cliche

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Jokes on You

Sam Tennesz; When the Truth Hunts You Down

Micki Manaj; Turn me on

Nathan Wagner; Don’t Forget Me*

Wolford growled as the demon in front of him yanked his chair and turned it so that he could see out the open window. “Enjoy the show.” She laughed as she jumped, leaving him snarling as he tried to get himself lose from the bindings. Her wings opened and she hovered, watching Judy bound over a large rock before she stopped and looked around. Judy looked up hearing her cackle and sneered as she started ascending the side of the cliff chasing after her.

“NO! YOU DUMB BUNNY! SHE WANTS YOU!” Wolford tried screaming, but over the roar of the waterfall not even the best of ears would hear him as he watched the winged demon leading her to the top of the cliffs. The lights from the cruisers raced through a cut-out ravine and he could see the loose rocks already shifting as Judy jumped up catching the other demon. One good jar at a spot that was unstable and the whole side would cause an avalanche that would crush the cars. 

Judy roared as she knocked her fist into the other demon and snarled as she laughed. “I think you have lost your way in this world.”

“I will make my way in this world.” Judy barked as the other demon stood looking down at her.

“I suppose that fox has your minds all mixed together? You can’t even keep your eyes red. You lose more and more strength allowing this to continue when you know your purpose. You have let them both corrupt you! I will show you the way back to the truth, and get you back to all you have lost.”

“Truth?! The truth is what hunts you! You speak of me being corrupt and yet you allow the one who holds you to kill at random? You kill at random. We are meant only to stop that which the curse we are born to loves. We were not meant to kill like this!” Judy jumped and swung again as the other demon laughed. She cocked her head as the demon’s eyes glowed a bright yellow and dropped her chin. “WHAT IS IT YOU ARE AFTER!?”

One good swing and Judy was knocked back again, slamming into the top of the cliffside and watched several pebbles falling towards red and blue lights. Her eyes grew wide as the other demon sneered at her. “I seek that which will give me this world and all others. I seek to corrupt the purest soul, for if I can do this, I can enter the mind of any and have the one I truly desire.”

“You believe you can make another love you by force? Love does not work like this and what you think you will have will only be a lie!”

“It is enough for me, if I have her.”

“Her?” Judy asked narrowing her eyes. “Who are you?! You know as well as I there are no pure souls! Not even ours are beyond corruption!”

“The purest of souls does not need to be without mar. It is those things that taint a soul that make them pure. It is their choices and continuing to do what is right by denying the darkness they know they are capable of becoming, when they choose to look beyond all the horrors in this world and the darkness of their own hearts. It is that they still have a heart to give openly, that they can still trust, that they still believe in others when they have lost everything that makes them the purest of souls. They can change the minds and hearts of others with how they live in this world. It is strength against adversity, the will to continue, the ability to fight when hope has faded that creates the purest soul. If you can capture that, corrupt it, you can capture anyone. It is the belief that innocence can still be found behind a heart filled with hatred and the ability to pull the best from others around them. That endurance is what creates the purest soul and I have watched you help it grow.”

“Nick…?” Judy curled her lip as the demon smiled and looked at the cars racing past the ravine. “YOU WILL NEVER CORRUPT HIM!” she shot forward and slammed the other demon into the side of the cliff as she laughed………………

Bogo ground his teeth and motioned to Jack to pull ahead of him as Nick blinked a few times. “Why he is letting you out front?”

Jack glanced in the rear-view mirror watching Nick and rolled his eyes as he stomped the petal to the floor and shot forward. “Because your mate is something he doesn’t understand. He does understand that you have some kind of control over her, after the display back there.”

Nick looked off grinning as Skye folded her paws over her chest and shook her head. “Ugh. And it goes right to his head like the rest of you.”

“Hey, it’s not my fault she gets all her strength from me turning her on!”

Jack’s cheek lifted as several little rocks fell on the windshield and he slowed looking up before he floored it again. “We’re caught in the crossfire of those two again. And there’s nowhere to hide.” Skye and Nick looked up and were both clutching the seats as larger rocks started falling.

“Tell the others to speed up!” Nick growled as Jack veered, barely avoiding a boulder that tumbled in front of the car.

“The mic is open, I wasn’t risking everyone not knowing what was going on when we’ve all had our paws too full to think and no time to relay every detail. They’ve heard everything since we got on the freeway, Wilde.”

Nick cringed trying to remember what all they had talked about and clutched the seat again as Jack tried to avoid a rock twice as large as the last that nearly landed on the hood. The car jerked and nearly rolled as it fishtailed. Delgato and Garry glanced at each other and shook their heads, while Bogo was trying not to think at all. Everyone pinned the petal to the floorboards and accelerated. 

Judy knocked the other demon into the cliffside again and she laughed as her wings picked up. “You are weak, and foolish. Your caring for them is what makes you weak.” The winged demon hissed, and Judy looked back, sucking in a breath as half the side of the cliff started falling towards all the police cars. “I can already smell the guilt pouring from you for causing their deaths and not paying attention to your surroundings.” 

Judy made several leaps down and was tossing boulders left and right as Delgato and Garry grabbed something and screamed. Jack slammed the brakes heaving, not far from the bridge where he’d nearly driven off the side of a fifty-foot drop. Peeling tires caused them to look up yelling as Bogo’s cruiser slid and smashed right into the driver’s side. The cars stopped rocking as Bogo looked back at the falling cliffside shaking his head. 

“Damn.” Nick groaned as he shook his head and rubbed his neck. “We’re all going to feel that tomorrow.”

Skye looked out the window and shivered seeing the drop off as Bogo and Larry Longfang got out of their cruiser. They climbed out of the car carefully, watching Bogo looking back at the landside. “Sir?” Nick asked as he landed next to the bull. 

Bogo stood straighter looking back at the ravine. “We can grieve later, right now we need to find out if Officer Wolford is still here. Where did they go?”

“NICK?” He turned seeing Judy in her demon form and rushed to her as she limped slightly. 

“Carrots? Where is the other one?” He looked around curling his lip as she grabbed his arm. 

“I don’t know, but Wolford is here and so is Mr. Otterton, a badger, the Mayor, and Bellwether.” 

Bogo walked to the door pulling it open and nodded. “You can explain it in the reports later. Where are we going?”

Nick shrugged as Judy walked through the open door. “The Mayor and all the others are on the ninth floor. Wolford is on the same floor, but on the other side of the building.”

“Are any of them injured?” Bogo asked looking at the demon as she shrugged. “Wilde, we’ll get the others. Go get your partner. If you don’t need back up, Longfang, Savalde, and Winter’s are with me. We have no idea of their conditions.”

Nick chuckled. “I have backup right there.”

Bogo nodded as they all got through the doors and went separate directions to each side of stairs that led up. After climbing the stairs and walking down the corridor, Bogo stopped and looked between two cells. Larry Longfang kept his ears pinned back and he could already see he had lost another officer as Lionheart jumped closer to the glass. “We have to find a way to turn off the sprinkler system! If it gets much warmer in here, they will go off and they’re full of Night Howler serum!” Dawn looked up explaining everything as Jack and Skye worked on opening their cell. Bogo and Longfang opened the opposite cell allowing Mr. Otterton and Dr. Badger out. 

Jack looked up trying to find where the pipes came from. “I’ll try to find the tanks and shut them down.” 

The bull grabbed the turn wheel and pulled, but it snapped off and he tossed it aside growling. “No. If no one is in the building there isn’t a reason to mess with it. I’m going to check on my Officers.” Bogo instructed them on getting everyone out of the building, but growled as Lionheart caught himself on the wall. Priority on getting the Mayor out unharmed took precedence over his officers as he grabbed the large cat’s arm and helped him start walking to the stairs.  
\-------------------------------------------------

Delgato jolted as the car shifted. “We’re going to get crushed.” The light that poured through the smashed windshield had them both squinting for a second before the growl caused them to lean back in their seats, watching a red furless demon toss it aside. She dug out every other car, watching the officers crawl from the vehicles before she returned her attention to Cliffside Hospital with a curled lip and bolted over boulders snarling. “IS ANYBODY HURT?” Delgato asked listening to the others sounding off by name. Several were screaming back about injuries as the large lion looked at Garry. “Let’s see if we can get them all out of the debris and find out if anyone’s radio works.” The lion and wolf were climbing over jagged chunks and stopped at each place they heard voices until they had everyone together. “I think the only injuries are a broken leg and a concussion.” 

Garry looked back around and shook his head. “That should have squashed all of us.”

Delgato was looking around for the best place to get out when the flash of red crawling up the side of the building almost dropped. He cocked his head to one side as Garry looked the same way, watching Judy dangle by one arm before she grabbed the building again. “How is she doing that? No one can scale a building like spidermammal.”

Garry shook his head. “She’s not. She’s melting the stone each time she touches another part of the building. Her paws are so hot they are making indentations in the stone. Look at how everywhere she touched glows for a minute and them turns black.”

“Let’s get everybody out of here. We can use one of the radios from the cars over there to get help here. It’s going to take forever to clear the road.”

“Hey?” Garry asked looking up at Cliffside. “I’m pretty sure there is a helicopter landing on the roof. Maybe that would work?”

Delgato looked around at the other officers and shrugged as they all watched Judy continue climbing. “Maybe there is. I’d hate to be whatever is on the receiving end of that though. I wonder why the other one has wings?”

Garry shrugged as he jumped over rubble moving towards another car. “Maybe Wilde can explain it….”

Nick looked her over smiling as they reached the ninth floor and she was giggling as he brushed his fingers over her shoulder. “Wolford is the fourth door on the left. I don’t think he’s hurt except for the cut on his arm and he might not make a lot of sense because he hit his head pretty hard when she dropped him.”

“Dropped him?!” Nick took off down the hallway and slid into the room. Wolford’s snout hung as he stared out the window shaking his head. “FORT!” He glanced over his shoulder and watched Nick move around to the front of the chair, tugging at the ties around his wrists. “Did you see where the other one went?”

“All I saw was all the rocks falling and a giant cloud of dust. You need a knife and you know it. Zip ties can’t be broken or cut with claws.”

“Carrots?” Nick asked as she walked into the room. 

Wolford sighed as she cut them with her claws, and stood up looking out the window. “How many did we lose?”

Nick cringed as he looked out the window and sighed. “Five cars buried, ten officers. Bogo is on the other side of the building with Larry Longfang, Savalde, and Winter’s getting everyone else. We have no idea where the other demon went.”

“I’m not going to be able to fight her again. It’s already getting hard to keep this form.”

“Nick?” Wolford asked looking her over. “This happens when she is….”

“Yep. And the more frustrated she is, the stronger she gets.”

“Well maybe you should give her a paw then?” Wolford stepped to the door and watched Nick smirking as he stepped closer to her. The demon was grinning as he grabbed both her paws and held them up still smiling.

“There’s just one problem with that, Fort.”

“What?” They both asked as Nick sighed.

“You, aren’t Carrots.”

“Why would you say something like that?” she asked as her bottom lip wobbled.

Wolford cocked his head to one side as Nick looked up at her and raised a brow. He stepped closer to the door shaking his head. “Because Carrots and her other half don’t see each other as the same person, and her ‘demon’ blushes every time I touch her. You don’t. There is also the fact that her eyes stayed purple no matter how angry or upset she was after she burnt me.”

“Damn. I really wanted you to make the choice yourself. It’s so much better when you have that kind of guilt eating at the soul. You always were a clever fox.” The demon hissed as it lowered its head. “I guess I’ll have to go about this another way.” 

Nick’s eyes flew open as her red skin started turning a dark crimson color and a wave of heat nearly knocked them both over as they ducked around the door. “RUN!” Wolford screamed as Nick hit his knees, watching Judy barrel through the window at her. A snarl and a yelp followed by crunching metal perked his ears as Wolford looked down the hall. “If it gets too hot in here, we’re all going to end up killing each other.” Nick looked up as he pointed to the ceiling. “The sprinkler system is full of Night Howler serum.”

“CARROTS?! IF IT GETS TOO HOT IN HERE, WERE DONE FOR ONE WAY OR ANOTHER.”

Judy looked back at him before her fist flew again. “GET OUT!” 

They took off trying not to fall down the stairs and headed for the exits at the front of the building. Jack and Skye had moved the vehicles with civilians in them as far away as possible. The Mayor, Bellwether, Mr. Otterton and Dr. Badger were watching as they rushed back over the bridge. Shouting had the lion looking back to where the collapse had stone lying all over the road and Larry’s ears set hearing his brother screaming about how to get a larger officer with a broken leg moved without it causing more problems. 

“GARRY?!”

Lionheart and the others left the vehicles and were reaching over the rubble trying to help them get free, turning at the roaring as Nick, Bogo and Wolford tried to rush over the bridge. The bull blinked in shock watching Lionheart helping several officers climb over boulders. Everyone stopped as two demons fell from somewhere above them, blocking Wolford and Nick off from Bogo and the others as a large section of the bridge crumbled away with the weight of their impact.

Jack growled as he tried to jump at the winged demon, holding the Devils key. One swing of her paw had him on the ground with Skye yelping as the knife rolled across the stone bridge. Bogo grit is teeth and clenched a fist he pulled back, but he was knocked in the jaw as Judy rolled over heaving. The bull sat up rubbing his chin when she turned back to Judy as if he weren’t even there.

Nick cocked his head watching the other demon’s long tail flicking back and forth as Wolford squinted. The underside of her tail was white as it swayed back and forth, and she hissed at Judy as she got to her feet again. “You! You have ruined everything!” 

Judy rolled over growling as the other demon threw her fist up and hissed as her long tail slashed across her chest. She backed away with her lips curled after looking at her paw from clutching her chest as she began to shrink. Nick and Wolford glanced at each other frowning as the demon that had once been in her place turned back to a gray bunny trying to scoot away as the other burst into flames. “If nothing else I will kill you for that alone!”

Nick held his paws up against the heat and Wolford looked back inside grabbing a fire extinguisher from inside the door. “HEY!” The winged demon looked up as he pointed it at her, and she was hacking and coughing as she was sprayed in the face before she fell over the side of the bridge. The wolf looked over the side shaking his head. “That isn’t going to hold her off long. I think it just shocked her.” 

Judy tried to stand and fell to her knees catching her breath as Wolford tossed the fire extinguisher. Nick rushed to her and dropped to his knees, curling his paws around her shoulders. “Carrots? Are you hurt?”

She looked up at him shaking her head as she broke into tears. “I can’t beat her, Nick. She’s too strong and she knows what she’s doing. The demon has joined with her! They aren’t separate! They are one person. I can’t win this. She’s going to kill again, and I can’t stop her!”

Wolford stumbled closer as he shook his head. He clutched his arm hissing as Judy looked at the gashed flesh showing through his shirt sleeve. “I was wrong about you. It has to be you. No one else can do it, Judy.” He looked back and watched Skye coddling Jack as he laid limp in her arms with Bogo looking him over. Another glance around and he could see Lionheart and Larry Longfang helping a few other officers into the clearing and pointed that direction as Garry jumped over the boulders. The brothers hugged around each other as Wolford pointed them out. “You did that. I think you can do this. You both have the same curse. She may have control of it, but you can use it too.”

“Why even try! I’m going to fail!” Judy shook her head.

“WILDE!” Delgato screamed from over a large stone. “Play Doctor Already!”

She moved away as Nick smirked and shook her head. “I can’t control it! I don’t want to hurt anyone! I can’t even be comfortable in my own skin!” She tried to pull away as Nick looked up at Wolford. Her ears shot up as he growled and clutched her shoulders. 

“CARROTS!” She looked up blinking as he wiped her face off. “The only time we fail, is when we stop trying. Try again. You think I smell like blueberries and cedar. Do you know what you smell like to me?” She shook her head as he shifted into a soft smile and leaned over landing his lips on hers. “What you smell like, is everything I ever wanted and could never have. You smell like all the things I never thought were possible. But here you are. Stop trying to hide from it. Stop trying to fight it. It’s not an it, it’s part of you. You’re just fighting with yourself. Just go with it, Carrots. Both of you.”

“I’m a bunny! No bunny has ever had this curse and-

“You’re not just some bunny, Carrots, and you know it.”

Wolford chuckled and nodded as she looked at him. “You are something else.”

She looked back at Nick as he agreed. “You are part fox, even if it’s a very small part. It’s your curse, your demon, claim it.” 

“Help me?” 

“Always.” Nick smirked.

Judy sniffled and he nodded as he tilted her head back and pressed his lips to hers again. The doe was groaning as he pulled her to her knees. Wolford stepped back with wide eyes as her fur seemed to grow backwards and disappeared into her skin. Her dark gray eyebrows turned a pitch black, the color of flat coal as her ears shrank. The soft pink flesh that should have been under any mammal’s fur started getting brighter as Nick dipped his head into her neck and rolled his cheek along hers, leaving a thick scent of his musk on her skin. Wolford took another step back as small horns started pushing up through her skull above each one of her eyebrows. Her claws shifted to a shiny black ebony as they grew, and she gripped Nicks’ shirt behind each of his shoulders as he bit her neck and rolled her skin between his teeth. Her claws grew longer than a sloths, with razor sharp edges, leaving the back of Nick’s shirt shredded between her fingers as she chanted to herself in a low voice, running her face along his neck. “Keep trying, keep trying. Keep trying…” 

Nick felt her fur vanish as the soft smooth skin he was running his paws down began to get warmer. All he could hear was the beat of her heart and the words she kept chanting as her whole body shivered. He fell back, almost rolling over as she shoved him away. Nick and Wolford both threw their paws up as she burst into flames, screaming a long dragged out screech that tipped both their ears back. The fox blinked as he regained his focus and got back to his knees as Judy stood in front of him. She looked like Judy again, except she had no fur. The rabbit teeth that sat prominent in her mouth were almost dwarfed by the long fangs that sat beside them in her mouth. Her skin was a bright fire red and two small horns had come in above each eye as she continued to scream with balled fists. Heat radiated from her body and she fell to her knees looking over herself, shaking her head. She buried her face in her paws and tried to turn away as Nick stood and stepped closer. “Don’t look at me! I’m ug-

“Hot.” Nick smirked as her eyes shot to him. He took a knee in front of her, grinning as he cupped her cheek. “Gods be damned if my bunny isn’t hot in every sense of the word. Am I lying?” He asked grinning as she pressed her face into his palm, giggling through watery eyes as she pulled in his scent and shook her head. His eyes snapped to the side as a long red tail tipped with a coal black arrow whipped back and forth. The shirt and pants she had been wearing resembled what she had been wearing when they met, but were singed and half burnt away, making her look like she was wearing a pair of Daisy Dukes and the country version of small halter top. “Nice censorship.” Nick stood up and tipped his head to the side grinning as head cheeks flared blue and pulled her to her feet. Her purple eyes opened on him as he stepped closer and grabbed the tail that was flicking back and forth. “This puts a whole new meaning to the phrase getting someone all hot and bothered. But it’s working for me, Carrots.” Her eyes flashed red as he leaned over and grabbed her chin with his finger and thumb. Wolford tipped his head as Nick caught her in another kiss that made her knees shake. He jerked as a pair of Ebony wings shot open from her back and watched her eyes open and shift to a glowing red. One swipe of his claws running down the skin on her arms was all it took to make her snarl and Nick snickered as he looked down. “Look what you went and did again.” He bounced his brow as she shifted her eyes to his tented pants and growled as she folded her knees, springing from the ground. She left the brick bridge they were on and the wind from her wings catching the air nearly knocked Nick and Wolford over. Judy squeaked and hit the ground again, looking up at her wings. Each one had a hook at the top that faced the opposite direction.

Nick grabbed them and chuckled. “It almost looks like they’re made to snap together. Just don’t pull your wings so close to each other and they won’t catch again.” Judy watched him get them apart before she dove over the side of the bridge, intent on finding the other demon.

Nick smirked as Wolford stepped closer, watching Judy looking around after she shot into the air. “You really do have a little red devil, Nick.”

Nick looked back at him and shook his head. “Who said it was little? It’s bigger than yours. Don’t you lie like that when you know better.”

Wolford rolled his eyes and shook his head. “Really, Nick? Now? Is your mind always in the gutter?”

Nick snickered as he looked back at Wolford. “Which mind? I have two. The larger of them wouldn’t be in the gutter if my smaller one had gut her.”

Wolford cupped a paw over his eyes and shook his head. “Oh, good Gods-

They both snapped their necks back at ear piercings screams. Judy’s wings flapped in the air like a gargoyle as her eyes started glowing red. Her fingers curled open and her claws grew as they turned and watched another similar looking creature lock each other in their sites. Both demons hissed as they flew at each other snarling, and crashed together midflight. Claws flew and blood spilled as their tails whipped around and sliced through skin. Nick cringed as Judy was slammed into the thick bricks lining Cliffside. 

Judy snapped her jaws and sent the other demon dodging her teeth before she turned her wings. Her tail wrapped around its throat and she spun her wings, slamming it into the building. Wolford hissed when it jumped back, wrapping its tail around Judy’s ankle and turning the tables, throwing her into the air before she fell from the sky and bounced off the bridge. She rolled over shaking her head as her elbows shook under the weight of trying to lift her body. “Nick, do something!” Wolford growled as he watched the other demon laughing.

“What the hell am I supposed to- Nick blinked as Wolford gave him a look. He chuckled before he screamed. “HEY CARROTS!” Judy looked up as he pulled his shirt off and jumped onto a higher section of bricks on the bridge. Her jaw dropped as he licked both his fingers and ran them around his nipples bouncing his brow in a cheesy smile. “Loooky what I got for you!” He made a kissing noise as he licked his fingers and touched his chest again. Her head flew back laughing as Wolford facepalmed. “Not doing it for you? How about this?” He asked and turned around wiggling his butt back and forth in an overexaggerating swing of his tail. “Hot enough for you now?”

Judy’s eyes flashed as Wolford chuckled, until he caught the other demon barreling towards them. “LOOKOUT!” he shoved Nick off the ledge as the other demon dive bombed them and they both rolled over watching Judy’s teeth split. Nick cringed and groaned as his back ached from the thick claws that had cut across his back. 

Judy swooped in landing beside him and he chuckled as he shook his head. “I’m fine, Carrots, it’s just a scratch.” Nick grabbed her in a kiss and her eyes flew open as he pulled her to the ground. 

Wolford pulled his shirt off and he wrapped it around Nick as Judy pulled her paws from under him, shaking her head at the blood on her paws. “I’ve got him.” Wolford nodded as Judy’s head snapped to the laughter above her. Her lips curled and Wolford leaned back as the fangs in her mouth grew. Her wings exploded, chasing after the other demon. Nick huffed as Wolford watched them crash together again. “I think she may have found something that gets her hotter under the collar than your teasing.”

Nick chuckled as Wolford’s brow dropped. “That...that was a good one...F-Fort.”

“Nick?” The fox’s eyes rolled back as Wolford shook his head. He looked him over shaking his head as blood started seeping from under his back. “This isn’t just a scratch.”

“It doesn’t even hurt. She can’t smell anything with the other demon around. Are they hurt?” He looked over watching Bogo helping Skye with Jack. 

Skye tipped forward as Jack groaned and sat up rubbing his head. “Careful Jack, that’s a nasty bump on your head.”

Jack shook his head as he stumbled to his feet and looked around as Skye steadied him by bracing his shoulder. “Wilde?” He asked and Skye sighed as she tipped her head. Jack moved along the wall and furled his brow as he watched Wolford kneeling over the red fox.

Nick opened his eyes and shook his head, he tried to reach into his pocket as Wolford grabbed his paws. “Just hold still and don’t die.”

“I’m too young…and way to pretty to die yet.” 

Wolford chuckled as he nodded. “Just keep telling yourself that. If you believe it then it’s the truth.” Nick smiled as he managed to get the carrot pen out of his pocket. He looked it over and clutched it in his paw as he closed his eyes again. Wolford looked around shaking his head. “I NEED SOME HELP HERE!” 

Jack and Skye rushed over the remaining section of the bridge and dropped to the ground with Wolford. The buck looked him over and shook his head as Skye turned her eyes and looked back up to the demons sighing. 

Judy’s eyes slammed shut as her jaw was knocked to the right, spinning her in the air. Her eyes fluttered as she fell back and her whole body jerked as her ankle was wrapped and caught by the other demon’s tail. “You,” she hissed as Judy tried to look around. “All I wanted was to find someone who would see me and not this thing I become. Every time I tried, they all screamed and tried to run. Out of all of them, you managed to find someone who didn’t care about that at all! I would have been able to make anyone do anything if I had gotten to him. If I can’t have the one I want, neither will you.” She growled. 

Judy shook her head as the gusts of wind from the other demon’s wings propelled them higher. Her ears fluttered and went rigid, training on the screaming it took a minute for her to understand. “I NEED SOME HELP HERE!” She opened her eyes and felt her weight drop as she started falling, looking up as she was jarred by another weight slamming into her while they accelerated towards the ground. She shook her head as she tried to get her bearings. Growling as the other demon hurled them towards the ground and turned her weight as she shoved her feet up trying to look around. Her blood went cold as she watched officers trying to scramble and climb over broken parts of the bridge and rocks, while Wolford, Skye and Jack sat around the fox. Bogo held a paw up keeping the others at a distance……………

Jack looked around scowling and picked up the knife as a ball of flame fell from the sky. He shook off the dizziness and headache from being knocked unconscious and ignored the gash across his side as he jumped onto the ledge of the bridge. “HOOOPPPS!” His pupils dilated and closed in on her face as they locked eyes. Judy curled her lip as Jack bound his legs and threw it at her like a javelin. The doe opened her paw, letting her black claws extend, slashing them across the other demon’s face. They turned in the air as her other paw shot out catching the knife. Jack sucked in a breath as they watched them both slam into the ground. 

Judy’s weight had shifted above her foe and she clutched the flint dagger as their weight hit the ground, thrusting the blade forward as her wings opened, catching her like a parachute. “Go to hell.” she growled as she hovered, curling her lips. The other demon clutched the blade in her gut, her shocked expression fading as her body cracked and splintered like the cooling surface of lava, turning to ashes before it fell away, until there was nothing but a knife lodged between the bricks where she had been. 

“HOPPS!” Jack shouted. Judy spun her wings again, darting back to them and dropped next to Nick shaking her head. Wolford moved back as she slid between him and Nick. The red fox looked up at her with heavy eyes as he smiled, and she curled around him sobbing as he cupped her cheek.

“I saved your pen. Now you’ll have something to write with when you’re a meter maid.” Nick chuckled as he held it up and she grabbed the top as his paw landed on his chest. 

“You evil fox.” She giggled through tears as he nipped her neck.

“Tell them all I’m the devil, paint me black and I will still love you with my dying breath.” Judy sobbed as she shook her head. “It’s not the end of the world, Judy.”

“It’s Carrots to you, Mr. It’s not the end of the world. It’s just the end of mine. I’ll be right behind you.”

Nick swallowed as he tried to shake his head. “You’re breaking my heart, Carrots. I kept my word and broke it at the same time. I told you I wanted to get you to a place no one could ever hurt you, but this isn’t what I had in mind. I’m scared though.”

Wolford closed his eyes as most of the officers from precinct one finally managed to climb over the debris and stood on the other side of Judy as Nick kept running his fingers along her cheek. 

“Dumb fox.” Judy sniffled as she pressed her head against his. “I wanted to save you. You’ll leave this world afraid and you’re dying because of me.”

“You already saved me, Carrots. I lived because of you, and I’ll leave this world knowing I was loved, that everything that happened in my life led me right to you.” His eyes closed and Judy fell into his neck as the officers standing around bowed their heads. Bogo covered his eyes and turned around, shaking his head as he ran his paw down his face.

Jack looked up trying to get the excess moisture out of his eyes. He wrapped his arms around Skye when she buried her muzzle in his neck. The vixen covered her mouth as Wolford cupped Judy’s shoulder. “Artemis guides us as we walk under the light of the moon. We are but stars that fade into darkness, left as a mist that shines in the memory of those we leave behind. We find ourselves under the light of the moon. Left feeling as if we are in the dark, when our stars no longer shine.”

Judy clutched Nick’s paw as Wolford stood looking around. He tipped his head to the air, and broke into a howl after reciting a hymn known to wolves in their last moments of life. He was followed by all the other wolves as they sang in an overlapping symphony of voices.

“AWOOOOOOOOOOO”

“WOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO”

“ROOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO”

“Nick…open your eyes. Look at me!” The fox managed to open his eyes and smile as she fought tears. “I Love You.” She gripped his fingers tightly as he closed his eyes and her recorded voice shot her ears up as the wolves continued their howl. “I am such a dumb bunny.”

Mist from the waterfall kept falling over the cliffside as she looked up and blinked at a full moon. “Under the light of a full moon, where not even the stars can shine…where nothing reflects. Hellsfire can bind the curse with a noble sacrifice of blood….Rise above it all before you fall….” There is no reflection under the water….under the light of the moon, where nothing can shine in the depths of the world. Not even the stars. I am such a dumb bunny. A demon cursed with the power of hellsfire. She grit her teeth as she stood. I know where I belong. If I’m a demon, a devil, I will fall to hell and give my wings to an angel. Hell hath no fury like a bunny scorned……

Judy looked at her paws, the crimson stains from the fighting and how they were both covered in each other’s blood. Fighting for each other. “Rise before the fall.” She grabbed Nick’s wrist and used all the strength she had to lift from the ground with her wings. Her tail grabbed the knife from the bricks and yanked it from the stone as she slipped over the edge of the bridge. Wolford tried to step forward and stop her, but Jack stepped in front of him shaking his head. “He’s not dead! She can’t…”

Judy screamed as both her paws grabbed around his wrist. “GODS HELP ME!”

The buck watched Judy fall over the edge of the bridge with Nick and sighed before he frowned at Wolford. “We are not bunnies. A few moments is all he has left. The part of us that is fox is magnified so intensely that the instincts a fox would have are almost instant in us. Fox’s die when they lose their life mate. It may take months for that to happen to a fox, for us it will only take a few minutes. His moments are all the time she has left. Let her choose how they spend them together.” Skye turned heaving as Jack ticked his eyes around. Wolford looked over the edge and watched Judy’s wings catch the updraft from the waterfall as she clung to Nick’s wrist. The doe was bawling as she lifted past all of them and struggling with his weight as her wings strained. She was screaming as they spread open and turned a pitch glossy black as they lifted up and down, shooting them into the sky. The officers on the ground watched her red skin start glowing white hot until her figure had become a distant speck……..

Judy was fighting for breath in the thin air as Nick’s paw stayed curled limp around her wrist. She lifted her tail examining the knife and looked at her wings. “The devils key.” The two hooks caught as she wrapped them around the hilt of the blade and pinned her wings to her back diving with their weight. Her arms curled around him as they fell, and her wings wrapped around both of them like a shell that pointed towards the earth as her tail sealed the end of her wings together. The sharp point of the blade held above their heads led her wings in an assault that hurled them to the ground. The heat from the fall grew around them like a shield. She wrapped around him as closely as she could, pulling her wings tighter, causing both of them to fold around each other. They started spinning and she closed her eyes as his shallow breaths curled her ears around his neck.

Wolford and the officers all stepped closer to each other, watching what looked like a comet falling from the dark sky. Skye looked at Jack and back up as it grew brighter. “What happens when a demon prays?” 

A football shaped object whistled to the water and sent a spray flying over Cliffside as it hit the water. Bogo looked over the side pulling in a breath and curled his brow as the ground shook and light from under the surface grew. Wolford looked down tipping his head to one side as the water under the falls boiled. The ground shook and Cliffside split in half, sending a chunk of the building into the water. Bogo’s fur stood on end as the air around them seemed to charge and he looked up watching the lightning in the clouds roll around. It was a sensation he wished he didn’t understand. Everyone took on the appearance of being extra fluffy as their fur filled with static, indicating lightning was going to strike the area. “MOOOOVE!” 

The officers scrambled back over the section of the broken bridge and Jack jumped higher as Skye stumbled. An arc of electricity slammed the bridge and split into several sections. One blew the rest of the bridge away, the other sent what was remaining of Cliffside tumbling into the water, and the largest arc hit the water just above where Judy and Nick had fallen. The steam from the heated water rose, blinding everything from sight as Jack stuck his nose in the air. Skye shook her head as he closed his eyes and inhaled. One side of his lip curled into a smile before the echo of his laughter had all of them looking at him like he’d lost his mind. 

Bogo blinked as the steam cleared, revealing a glowing form that looked like an oval obelisk that was dripping with molted rock. He squinted along with all the others as Jack kept chuckling. The shape twisted as if something was moving within an eggshell before two wings shot open, throwing off the cooling material. Black wings with a sheen that lit under the moon flapped several times before a giant blue figure with glowing red eyes slammed its feet to the ground. Bogo stood taller as his officers stepped away, shifting uncomfortably as they gaped. He stepped closer and the beast turned its head to him and narrowed its eyes. Two long horns that resembled Bogos lit up in blue flames, as if each tip was a candle wick as it growled. 

“Hades.” Wolford gasped as it turned its head to him and smiled, before looking back to Bogo.

A voice that seemed like it might vibrate the air itself hissed. “None in all of time have broken into my kingdom, or escaped from it. I cannot kill that which has gone against what even the highest of powers have deemed final. For this trespass she will remain cursed. Take them or I will let them fall again. My patience is already thin.”

Bogo stepped forward frowning and was nearly knocked over as the thing opened his paw. He looked into his arms blinking as Nick and Judy landed on his chest. Hades pulled what looked like a splinter from his chest and Wolford blinked as he held it out shaking his head. “This will never happen again.” The flint knife melted in his fist and he rubbed his paws together like he was trying to scrape off something sticky from his fingers. “Nasty mortals.” He growled as he stepped back.

The officers all turned their heads and cringed at a flash and looked back seeing the blue God leering at the dark form that had no definition without the lightning traveling around within a space that defined it as such. Each shift of the lightning left the image of a different species of mammal, predator and prey before the next took shape from the lighting moving around in a hollowed space. Hades sighed. “Zeus.” The lump of metal on the ground was struck, leaving the knife laying there as the God of lighting spoke in nothing other than thunder to mortal ears. Hades growled and removed a ring from his pinky, tossing it at Bogo. The bull flinched and looked around, momentarily stumped as Hades pointed to Lionheart. The large cat blinked as he shook his head and moved until it was Dawn he was scowling at. The ewe followed his finger and picked up the knife he was pointing at as he nodded and sneered. “You shall be the guardian of the Devil’s key and will know when it is meant to be held by another, and you,” Lionheart lifted a brow. “Shall guard her until such a time has passed.”

Dawn looked up and nodded as she held it to her chest, jolting as it shrank in her paws, until it was no bigger than a small pendant. Bogo watched Lionheart chuckling at her and blinked as he looked around, but the ring Hades had thrown was nowhere to be seen. Hades growled at Zeus and shook his head. “I am not explaining anything else, Brother.” Another rolling thunder and a bolt of electricity shot back to the clouds as Hades jumped off the ledge where a bridge once stood. Several of them looked over the edge and watched him dive into the molten ground before everything rumbled. The water crashed back over the bottom of the lake and sent steam rising again as the waterfall refilled the pit.

Nick yawned and groaned as they all looked back to Bogo. He looked up at the bull blinking before he smirked and batted his lashes. Gasp! “This is all so sudden! I think it’s a little inappropriate for you to be trying to carry me over the threshold without buying me a ring first, Chief. You should at least take me out for dinner before you have your way with me.”

Wolford slammed a paw to his face as the other officers stood with their jaws half open. Bogo curled his lip as he looked around the stunned faces of his officers. “Do you have a good hold on her, Wilde?” Nick nodded with a confused expression as Bogo smiled. “You want something hard? Here you go. Make sure a medic checks you both.” He dropped the fox and turned around grumbling as they all started laughing. 

Nick cringed as he held Judy and tried to sit up. “Ow. I hurt everywhere. Hey, Fort!? I need you to kiss it and make it better!”

Wolford snickered and shook his head as he stepped around Skye. “I’m not kissing it. I think you have someone that can handle that already, and you can kiss my ass if you think I would anyway.”

“I’m not kissing you everywhere! You’re nothing but ass! I told you to go on a diet! You’re still as big as a Fort!” Nick smirked and Jack fell over clutching his chest as Skye gawked with an open mouth. “Get your big ass over here and help me up!”

Wolford curled his lip as they laughed. “Yep, not a damn thing wrong with you. Except you’re damned.”

“Damned?” Nick asked as he got to his knees looking over Judy. “Carrots?” the doe groaned and he snickered as she curled into a ball clutching the fur around his neck. She settled and he smiled as she started purring.   
Wolford helped Nick to his feet with Judy as he looked them over. “Your mate is cursed. A gift from Hades for breaking into the underworld to save you.”

“WHAT?” Nick asked as he looked around and back to Judy. “What the hell did I miss?”

Wolford laughed as he grabbed the fox’s shoulder. “Hell apparently, but you got the girl who was willing to go there and back for you anyway.” 

Nick smiled and watched Skye wrap around Jack as he looked back at Judy. “How am I going to make that up to her?” 

He shook his head as Jack stepped away from Skye. “I might be able to give you a few ideas.” The buck chuckled and Nick looked at him with raised brows as Skye chewed her lip. Nick glanced at Skye as she laughed, and Jack motioned to a path they were trying to make to get back to civilization. “Walk with me, Wilde.”

The fox scoffed as he looked at the buck. “You think I can learn something from you?”

Skye cleared her throat and nodded. “He did grow up with bunnies, and we are about ten years older than both of you.”

Nick rolled his eyes before he followed Jack. He took a seat on some rocks as Jack started talking in a place where no one could hear them. Skye was laughing as the buck got animated with his paws while he spoke. Wolford cupped a paw over his mouth trying not to laugh as Nick sat there with his jaw hanging open, petting Judy’s ears……..

Finnick was humming as he walked back to where he’d left his van. The Caracul cat he’d spent more time with than any other female as himself and a demon had left him rethinking how he’d done a lot of things. As he opened the door he chuckled as his phone rang. “Hello?”

“Finnick?” she asked as he started the van chuckling.

“I just left ya. I been here for a week. Was there somethin else ya wanted to talk about?” 

“I….I think I’m…

“You are. Ya said it was the only thing ya both regretted. Ya said you were ready and ya wished it was possible.”

“But how does that even work?”

Finnick looked in his mirror and caught his eyes flash red. “They are yours, and his. Biologically. They will be healthy and completely normal.” 

“Thank you, Finnick. You are an angel.” She sobbed a few times as his face softened. 

“No, I really aint. Take care of yourself, Lolita.” He hung up still smiling and threw the van in gear, but the tires spun, and he looked out the window seeing one wheel stuck in a rut. “Hmm.” He hopped out getting ready to shift and shove, but looked up at as a massive blue creature with horns sneered at him before it shrank and stood in front of him with its arms folded over its chest. “Well, throw me in some water and slap my ass.”

Hades curled one side of his lip as Finnick looked up at him flat faced. “You have been a source of constant trouble.”

“I’m not sure how that can be when I aint never met ya before.” 

“You understand you will be in my world and when you get there, I have extensive plans on how to deal with someone who has forced me to create laws regarding a curse that was set in this world thousands of years ago.” Hades growled as Finnick shrugged.  
“If I was afraid of that, or believed it, I might be worried. But I aint. My soul don’t belong to you even if I am in the underworld and admitting it ensures it’s yours. Ya could always just keep the curse from workin ya know?”

“I am sure you already know I cannot do that because once something is created in this world, it can never be destroyed. It can only be altered. I can already see that the demon you have this time has chosen to be yours. So, I have an offer.”

“I don’t think ya got anything I want. Maybe more like somethin ya need from me, but I’m listenin.” Finnick smirked as Hades sighed.

“Bothersome Tick. Those two you were helping breached the underworld and I was forced to grant a single wish. I do not want anyone else getting into my kingdom.” Finnick’s head flew back laughing as Hades fumed. “I need a guard to ensure it never happens again. I will give you another demon who failed this task and knows everything about my kingdom, if you agree to watch the demons in this world, and keep the mortals out of mine.”

Hades pulled another demon from thin air and it curled into a ball as the God of the underworld growled. The small fox’s ears lifted as he looked up watching with a frown. “Makin deals with the devil aint exactly somethin that turned out good for anyone else who’s done it. What happens if I don’t accept the job? What kind of deal?”

“Simple, I’ll eat him, and you like my father did me and my siblings. If you believe there is no hell, try living in a gut that digests you over thousands of years. I and a few others escaped that fate, you will not. The deal is, you will become as powerful as any God and keep that power so long as no mortal ever enters my realm. I will give you this demon who knows all you should know and a collar that will allow you to control the demons in this realm. I will only offer this once.”

Finnick nodded as he looked around. “Ya already know what conditions I got. Ya got a problem with any of it?”

“No.” Hades answered as he held out the demon by its neck. “Do you want this or not?”

“There’s a story I heard about another red fox who was cursed and you let him come back. Do you still have his mate?”

Hades growled as he nodded.

“I want her back.”

“Is that all?” he asked and Finnick nodded.

“If we aint hashin anything else out. You’re in agreement nothin else from your world comes here again, I know everything about anything already here and I can keep doin my own thing- Yeah I’ll take the job.”

“Wonderful. You will find the doe you want in three days time, but it will never be known by any that I released her again or I will take her back.” Hades growled in an evil smile before slamming the demon he was holding into Finnick and pinning the little fox to the ground under his paw. “From this day forth in my kingdom, Finnick of the Zerda’s, you hold the thoughts of three, the body of one and the knowledge and strength to protect my kingdom and keep both realms apart. You will live until there are none who can cast or carry the curse in this world, and when you reach the end of this dreadful existence, you shall come to my kingdom and stay at the entrance. From this day forward, you shall be the only demon who will ever be named and will have the power to control the demons in this world. You will serve for us, and hence forth be known, as Cerberus.”

Finnick blinked as he looked up and found nothing but a starry sky laced with the echoing laughter of a vanished Hades. A thick red collar was around his neck he examined looking at all the little gold rings attached to it before he stuck his tongue out panting. “Damn its hot out here!” A million thoughts and knowledge rushed through his head and he fell back laughing until he was wiping away tears. “Zeus made Hades give Nick an invisible ring that will keep Judy from hurting him when they....pfft -HAHAHAHA! Nick’s an angel- Oh Gods that’s hilarious! They’ll have to figure it out, cause I aint tellin them! HAHAHAHAHA!”


	27. The Devils Dawn

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Boom

Lady Gaga; Stupid Love*

Six months later; 

Judy bounced as Lionheart stood looking over the crowd and straightened his back. “I’d like to introduce the first mammal to graduate from our mammal inclusion program. Valedictorian of her class, Judy Hopps, our first bunny officer!” As Judy walked to the stage she almost squealed excitedly, standing with the mayor and his assistant. Dawn smiled as she presented her new badge and Lionheart looked out again raising his voice. “She will be appointed to District One. Under Chief Bogo’s new division.”

“I’m so excited!” Judy cringed as Dawn scrunched her nose and pinned her badge to her chest.

“I can’t thank you both enough for helping us. I really was dreading testifying in the case against Doug Ramses. I’m so relieved all that is over with. It’s a big day for all us little guys.” 

“District one?” Bonnie and Stu glanced at each other, hesitantly clapping with the crowd as the lion stepped closer. Dawn was trying to look through them as he presented Judy to the crowd. The cameras took several pictures as Lionheart made sure the little ewe was up front and standing next to the bunny. “Now some opening words from our first small mammal to graduate from the police academy!”

Judy stood up on the little podium as Lionheart stepped aside with Bellwether, letting the cameras snap pictures as the news crews recorded for broadcasting. “When I was a kid, I thought Zootopia was this perfect place. Where everyone got along, and anyone could be anything. Turns out, life’s a little bit more complicate than a slogan on a bumper sticker. Real life is messy. We all have limitations; we all make mistakes. Which means, hey, glass half full, we all have a lot in common. And the more we try to understand one another, the more exceptional each of us will be. But we have to try. So, no matter what type of animal you are, from the biggest elephant, to our first fox…” Nick lowered his shades and winked at her from in front of the stage as she looked out again smiling. “Or our first bunny, I implore you, try. Try to make the world a better place. Look inside yourself and recognize that change starts with you. It starts with me; it starts with all of us.” Hats flew and Judy bound from the stage laughing. Nick caught her and spun until they were both grinning at each other.

The cameras kept rolling as Lionheart tapped on the mic gathering their attention again. “Congratulations to this year’s graduating class! I’d also like to announce I am nominating Dawn Bellwether for the next mayor as my candidate choice for the upcoming elections!” 

Dawn’s face fell as she was lifted to the lion’s shoulder and her cheeks turned red when he looked at her smiling. “Sir?! You think I can become the mayor?”

The current mayor chuckled as he waved and smiled at the cameras. “You held me up through both my terms, I thought it might be my turn.” Her face flushed even further as he lowered his voice. “Besides. I just like holding you anyway. Smile and wave.”

Dawn turned to the cameras beaming as they all started focusing on the pair and asking questions he redirected to the little sheep. “Assistant mayor Bellwether? Are you going to accept the nomination and run for our next Mayor?”

Dawn looked at Judy and Nick as the fox smirked and Judy nodded a she bit her lip and flashed her eyes red. The little ewe tried to get her nerves unraveled and giggled. “Yes!”

Judy stood with Nick below the stage, pointing a carrot pen at her and nodded. “Boom.” 

Nick chuckled. “It looks like little Ms. Sunshine has a lion-heart. A lion laying with a lamb. How do you think they make that work?”

“We make it work.” Judy laughed as he looked back at her bouncing his brows.

The fox growled playfully and pulled her closer. “I’m still working on a few things.” She laughed again as he smirked at her.

“You two really need to keep the bedroom chatter at a minimum with the cameras around.” 

Judy turned and jumped as Jack stood with Skye and wrapped her arms around the vixen as she giggled and returned the hug. “JACK! SKYE! We didn’t think you were going to make it!” 

The buck laughed as he extended a paw Nick shook. “We couldn’t miss this.”

Skye shot him a sly glance and he rolled his eyes. “I let him pull a few strings today.”

Nick laughed as Jack curled his lip at her. “I guess we know who wears the pants in your family.”

“And we know who has the horns in yours.” He glanced at Judy and Nick nodded.

“She may have horns, but I still wear the pants.”

Judy looked at him narrowing her eyes. “It’s funny how fast that can change you know? I never have a problem getting you out of them.”

Jack and Skye laughed as Nick looked at her with a mocking scowl before he snickered. “Half the time I never get the chance to take them off - just don’t ask.” Nick shook his head as Jack tipped a brow. “I’ll give them to her if she wants them.”

“And now we know why and who really has the pants in your family, Wilde.” Jack laughed as Nick looked at him glaring.

“Jaaack,” Skye swooned. His ears shot up when he turned and saw her playing with the fur on her neck as she bit her lip. “Give me your pants.”

The rabbit blinked a few times and Nick laughed as he grabbed her paw and tried to rush off. He was yanked by the paw and looked back seeing her giggling at him. He looked at Nick and the bucks face fell as Nick covered his mouth hissing. “I think she just proved her point, Jack.”

Judy looked around and shook her head. “Where is Wolford?”

Nick smiled as he pointed to the back of the crowd. The wolf was whispering to a little red panda who was blushing as they stayed seated in folding chairs. Her ears flipped back, and she giggled as he kissed one of her paws. When Bonnie and Stu made their way over and started chatting, Bonnie asked a question and Judy curled her brow as she looked at Nick. “They’re putting you in District One? Do you think that’s safe with your…condition? What program is Lionheart talking about you being in?” The doe shook her head as Nick shrugged, and they all looked at Jack as he chuckled and stuffed his paw in his pocket.

The buck smacked his lips and rubbed his chin. “I still have some questions about that curse by that way. Yes, I know about the program. I’m sure he can keep her in line with that condition, so there won’t be a problem.” Nick looked at Judy grinning and she rolled her eyes before she giggled. 

Nick and Judy looked at him waiting as the fox threw his paws out. “What program?”

Jack looked back at the stage watching Dawn talking to the press and snickered. “It was her idea. No, I’m not telling. I’m pretty sure Bogo wants to do that himself before it’s official.”

“Hey, I thought you said Finnick was supposed to be here too, Nick.” Judy asked as she looked around again, with her eyes at a much lower level.

The van was sitting on the other side of the street as Nick looked around nodding and sighed. “He is. He got here this morning. He said he’d been traveling for a while but hasn’t been in Zootopia for a few months. He must have gotten caught up in something again, maybe he went to get something to drink. You guys are a little warm blooded and it’s hot today.”

“You guys?” Jack asked as he looked between them. “He’s a bunny? They don’t run as hot as foxes do.” 

“Liar.” Skye giggled and Jack looked at her in a sneaky smile.

“I am not a bunny, Skye.”

“Don’t I know it.” She mocked as she scrunched her nose at him.

“Actually.” Judy almost cooed as they looked back at her. “He isn’t a bunny. He’s a fox. He’s like me.”

“A demon?” Jack asked as Nick chuckled and shook his head.

“Nick?” Judy asked and looked back at Nick as he nodded.

“I think it’s safe to say we can trust them, Carrots.” 

“A demon?” Judy waved a paw and Jack and Skye both perked their ears. “It’s not that. He’s more than a demon.”

Nick sighed as he agreed. “Yeah. He’s actually the one who was helping Carrots try to control hers. From what I’ve gathered he has more than one.”

“Judy could barely control the one she has, how is he controlling more than one?” Jack asked in exasperation as Nick shrugged. “I’d really like to meet the guy.”

“I’m sure he’s around here somewhere. He never gets too far from his van.” They all looked around as Nick pointed across the street……

Finnick grabbed the ice cream cone and took the paper the vendor had handed him, chuckling at the picture on the front page. He’d seen her walk across the stage and jump before Nick caught her, but he hadn’t talked to her since before he’d left and met the cat in Bunny Burrow. They had both been very busy and the few times he’d seen Nick, the red fox was running around trying to get other things taken care of, so the conversations had been brief. But he did want something to keep regarding the events as he read the paper he’d bought. “First Bunny Cop to Graduate from Mammal Inclusion Program.” 

He had already devoured half the cone as he fanned himself with the paper, but foxes already had high body temperatures. Trying to adjust to holding more than one demon had been a challenge, though they were technically one person at this point because they had both joined with him. His ears set and he looked off grinning as several squeals shot through the street. He dropped the cone and tossed the paper looking over his shoulder. “Guess I’ll have to get another copy later.”

“IT’S FINNICK! HE’S BACK!” An older hyena screamed. His eyes grew as a small horde of different species of females rushed around the corner.

“Oh shit.” He laughed as he took off running, with them fan girling as they chased him down the street. Several blocks over his van waited and a few officers heard the commotion, taking note of what sounded like panicked screaming. Nick and Jack both turned with everyone as Judy’s eyes flashed and her head dropped in a knowing smile. Fangmeyer, and Delgato took several steps through the new graduates as the small fox rounded the corner, trying to see what had caused the commotion. 

Finnick laughed as he jumped into his van and locked the doors, quickly climbing through a sun window he’d had cut into the roof. Fangmeyer got caught by a reporter asking about the bunny, but Delgato had a front row seat to the small fox climbing out and the females rocking his van. He rolled his eyes and shook his head before he threw his cup into trash can and sighed. “I can’t get any action!” He was growling and looked back to see Finnick holding his paws up as the girls kept screaming, and sighed again, walking away after they all went quiet. 

Finnick held his paws up and they all fell silent as he looked around flashing his eyes red at them. “Ladies. I will get to each and every one of you according to how much you need me. If you are married, in a relationship or are looking for one, leave now.” Several of them groaned and walked away disappointed. He looked to one in particular and let his face fall as he shook his head. “I can’t help you.” 

“Please!? He’s here, he knows about everything!” 

Finnick looked back cocking his head as another male stood and held up a briefcase. “Ladies, I’ll be back shortly. I need to have a small business meeting for a few minutes.” Finnick jumped back through the sunroof and opened the back doors, letting the female step in. He closed the door after her mate had crawled in with them. 

“Is it true? Can you become anyone you want to be, down to the last detail?” She asked.

Finnick nodded. “I can, but I don’t think I should help with this.”

“Why not?” She asked as Finnick looked between them. 

“Because shit could get real complicated if things didn’t work out between you two. I’m impressed that you love each other this much, but shit changes sometimes and I’m not sure I’m comfortable with what you want or how you’re goin about tryin to get it. It’s implyin I’m somethin I aint.” He kicked the case and shook his head.

The male flipped his ears back and dipped his head. “It isn’t what we would be paying you for.”

“What the hell would ya be payin me for then?” 

The female shook her head as Finnick sneered. “I thought you knew one’s most desperate desires?”

“I can see them, but I don’t look once I know what it is without someone’s permission anymore. I never should have. So, tell me what ya think you’re paying for if it aint that.”

He ticked his eyes between them and folded his arms over his chest as the male sighed. “Life has less value without life. It’s devastating to search everywhere for something you’re trying to find and losing all the hope you had. There is a caracul cat rumored that you gave a similar miracle. There is nothing anyone else can do to help us. Didn’t you give her the same thing?”

Finnick nodded as he looked between them and sighed. “That was different than this.” He kicked the case again scowling.

“We wouldn’t be paying you for ‘services’ rendered and didn’t mean to insult you with what it looks like. We would be paying you for making all our dreams come true.”

Finnick looked them both over and cringed. Fuck. It wasn’t like he didn’t understand it. He’d lost something and getting it back may have been seen as a curse to most people, but he’d always thought it was more like a miracle for him. “Let me think about it. While I’m thinking about it, you need to think about it too because this would be a done deal. If for some reason things between you didn’t work out, if you don’t take care of this? If you abandon or blame things on each other for this later; I will curse you both with something that will cause the ruin to everything you have or ever will have. What species are you anyway? I’ll need to do a little research. I’ll find you when I’ve decided.”

“How would you find us? How do you make money if you…”

Finnick growled, tapping his head and the male nodded. “I’m a private investigator by trade and a bodyguard at times and have been for years. I don’t charge anyone for this kind of thing. I’ll find ya. I can find out anything if someone really wants the information. Do ya understand everything I’m telling ya?”

“Yes, we understand everything you’ve told us, but you would never have to worry about either of us feeling that way in the future, even if we weren’t together, of course. Thank you for considering the offer. We are Bamboo lemurs. There aren’t many of us left in the world. My wife’s name is Brandy and I’m Vance Bri-” 

Finnick held his paws up shaking his head. “I don’t need your names or a lot of personal information. That aint how this works unless there’s some kind a problem. I want one thing in agreement to consider this. Let me see into your minds at any time and it will help me make a decision.” They both nodded and he opened the doors letting them get out before he was back on the roof grinning again. “I want you all to come together right here at the back of the van as a group and take a few steps back.” He waited until they were all a few feet from the back doors and clapped his paws together. “Now, where were we?” he asked smiling wider as he rubbed his paws together, leaving the girls behind his van gasping. “I’m not tellin who’s first.” He dipped his head and flashed his eyes again as he growled. “I hate to see ya go, but love to watch ya leaving, so the hunt is on.”

Fangmeyer rolled her eyes after getting past the crowd and cocked her head to the side watching a group of females take off squealing in every direction. She caught a flash of beige fur laughing as they all screamed with him chasing them around. “Filthy pervert.” She growled as she pulled her tranq gun and ran into the street after him. “FREEZE!” 

Finnick turned and looked back to find a massive tigress aiming her gun at him and smiled wider. “Damn, wouldn’t you be a mountain to climb.”

Nick’s eyes widened as Finnick’s eyes flashed and Judy placed a paw on his chest grinning. “Nick?” he looked at her with a worried grimace as Jack and Skye lifted a brow watching. “Wait a minute before you panic. Look around.”

Nick looked all over the place and back to her as Jack and Skye shook their heads. “Are we the only ones who can see what’s going on over there?” 

“Yep.” Judy chirped and they looked back at her as she giggled. “You’ll miss it if you blink.” They turned back to Finnick and Fangmeyer staring.

“Oh brother.” Fangmeyer grumbled as she sighed. “Just come quietly, would you? I’m really not in the mood for a horny old pervert who thinks he’s a gift from the Gods to all females.”

Finnick laughed. “Never thought about it like that. But it’s as good a way to define it as anything else.”

“Don’t make me shoot you. Someone your size gets hit with a dart and you’ll be out for days and have one hell of a headache when you come around again.” 

Finnick smirked as he looked her over and shook his head. “If that’s what it takes.” When his eyes flashed red, the tigress jolted in shock and pulled the trigger. Her face fell as he turned his head back to her, grinning with the dart between his teeth.

“How the hell did you….” She blinked as he pulled it from his mouth looking it over.

“That aint all I can do. But I can see it’s gonna take a little more to impress ya than this.” Fangmeyer’s whiskers twitched watching him jam it into his leg. The small fox sucked in a breath and his pupils dilated for half a second before he shivered. “Bleh, nasty stuff.” When he looked back at her grinning all she could do was blink and shake her head. The dart gun she had been holding fell and clattered on the ground, and the roar she had been attempting came out as nothing more than a tiny ‘mewl’ as Finnick smiled wide enough to show all his teeth. “If I could read your mind, I bet I’d find out exactly what it is ya really want.”

The large cat stood in shock trying understand the dart he yanked from his leg and tossed back at her. She looked it over seeing the expenditure of sedatives used and the sensor still active and shook her head with her mouth hanging open. Each dart had a sensor that would keep it from overdosing a smaller mammal based on body temperature and height, but it was empty, as if it had been used on an elephant or a rhino. She had a brief thought about it being faulty, but the likelihood of that was astronomical because they were tested to ensure they couldn’t cause harm to smaller mammals due to the damage and lawsuits they could cause. If they were faulty, they wouldn’t work at all. Finnick tilted his head to the side in a cocky smile as she looked back at him again. “R-read my mind?” A small nod and she sighed. “I guess if that were possible I wouldn’t have a problem with it because I have nothing to hide, but you know it’s going to take me less than a minute to catch you if this turns into a cha-

Finnick’s eyes glowed and the tigress froze as she found herself in complete darkness. A deep voice shot her ears up and she looked down as the little fox in front of her chuckled. “So that’s what your problem is? You’re bigger than most of the males in your species and you want someone who can…. Oh, you Pretty little thing.” 

“Little?! You - are calling me - little?” She took a step back blinking and watching him shifting as her jaw fell. Looking up at him as he grew quite a bit larger than she was. 

“Little.” Finnick smirked as he laid in front of her folding his front paws over the other. “I can’t change you, but I can change me to what it is that you’re lookin for. It’s rarely sex a lady is looking for, but it looks like you’ve had some problems in that area I might be able to help with too.”

Fangmeyer shook her head at him and looked around. “Where are we?”

“In your head, Pretty little thing.” He chirped as she looked back at him blinking. “You gave me permission to look, so I did. It’s up to you what happens next.”

Judy and Nick glanced at each other as Jack and Skye both tipped a brow. If you had blinked, you would have missed the amount of time that passed before Fangmeyer shook her head and gasped, opening her eyes and looking back at the tiny fox. She smiled and cocked one hip out as Finnick bounced his brows. “You think you can do… that?” 

“I can do that. Don’t ya know big things come in small packages? You are an awfully pretty little thing.” A nod and she bit her lip as he snickered. “Nothing ventured, nothing gained?” He asked as Fangmeyer scrunched her nose. 

“Screw it, why not?” She asked. Jack, Skye, and Nick let their jaws fall as a set of horns flashed on Finnick’s head, along with glowing red eyes. Judy dropped her paws to her knees, holding her weight laughing when Fangmeyer gasped. The tigress turned around giggling and took off running when Finnick started chasing the large cat down the street. His eyes, horns and claws flashing as he cackled. “Blahahaha!” Jack and Skye watched several of the other females grousing in disappointment when they were out of sight. Nick glanced at Judy shaking his head in confusion and shrugged.

“Weird.” Jack shot as he looked back to the sidewalk. “Where’d the dart gun go?”

Judy was smiling as she watched the other girls shaking their heads and heading in different directions. “Oh, Finnick picked it up. He’ll give it back to her so no one else will get their paws on a police issued weapon.”

They all looked at Judy and Nick threw his paws up in question. She shrugged looking at her parents and back to Jack and Skye. “It’s part of the deal he made. We can all see each other and know about the contract. He is the…. Guardian, between the mortal world and the underworld, so he kind of knows all our business too.” 

“I’m not sure I like the sound of that.” Nick almost growled as Judy stepped closer and wrapped her arms around him.

“He only looks into our private things if we ask him to or if we need his help. He knows where we are all the time, but not what we are doing unless we lose control, Nick. It’s his job.” 

Jack frowned as he looked down the street. “If no one else could see what was going on, why could we?”

“I’d say it’s because Nick trusts us, so by default, so does Finnick.” The red fox blinked and slowly smiled as he sighed.

Bonnie and Stu glanced at each other and looked at the kits tugging on their paws. “Well Bun Bun, we really should get going. They are getting restless and it’s a long drive back.” 

Judy said goodbye to her parents and siblings and Nick was a little stunned, rubbing his cheeks again after Bonnie had grabbed them between her fingers and thumbs. Stu smacked his back chuckling. “Might as well get used to that, Son.” Stu laughed as Nick shook his paw. They watched them all piling into a large van and Nick looked around before he was chuckling.

“You two have anywhere you need to be?” Nick asked. Jack and Skye shrugged and shook their heads. “We’re going out to dinner tonight. Want to tag along?”

Jack nodded. “We don’t have any other plans. Skye?”

The vixen giggled as she nodded, and Nick smirked as Jack leaned over. Skye was whispering in his ears and Judy looked back at Nick narrowing her eyes when Jack looked off and started smiling. “Do they know something I don’t, Nick?”

“Maaaaaybe.” He teased, watching one of her feet thump the ground. 

“You’re the one who got all this out in the open, so you better not be keeping secrets from me.”

“I’m not, Carrots. I needed a little advice and asked for Skye’s help.” He chuckled as her foot kept thumping the ground. “Just have dinner with me, like we’d already planned on doing? I will tell you everything.” She sighed before they said goodbye to everyone, and Nick drove with Jack and Skye following them to a small café. Once they had taken their seats and had drinks, Nick sat beside Judy across from Jack and Skye. She had been quiet since they left the graduation ceremony and he wasn’t sure if it was because she was angry or worried, but he sighed as small plates were sat in front of them with a large salad in the center of the table. It was apparent she was aggravated about being the only one not knowing what was going on when her arms crossed over her chest and she looked between Jack and Skye, and back to Nick frowning. “Impatient little bunny. We aren’t going to be able to enjoy dinner or anything else if you have that attitude all night.” He reached into his pocket and Judy tried looking around him as he was examining something he was keeping hidden in his paw.

Skye giggled and Jack bit his tongue when Judy looked back at them with a nasty look. The doe watched Nick place a paw over her plate and he was grinning as she scowled at him. He moved his paw again, revealing a small box he had left on her plate. “What is it?”

“Open it and find out.” She looked at the little box pulling off the lid and her face fell as she picked up a small gold earring with two diamonds attached to it by loops that let them look like they were floating around the larger hoop. “I asked Skye about this because I really wasn’t that familiar with rabbit customs and Grizzoli has been busy with Gerald. She told me to get your mother to help me pick it out when they came to Zootopia last week. I didn’t know that rabbits didn’t wear rings like most mammals do when they are engaged or married. This is the first place we had a ‘date’ together. I mean we’re already mates, and now that you are officially a police officer, I thought we should make it legal just like the laws we are both going to help enforce?” Judy ticked her eyes back to Jack and Skye, watching them smiling and looked at Nick trying to see through the blur. He ran one of his fingers along her cheek and tipped forward chuckling as she lifted her ears, letting him hook the hoop into the hole he had left in her ear before she was purring and nudging under his chin. “I also asked your father first. He said yes and cried too. You bunnies are so emotional.”

“He resembles that remark.” Skye shot and Jack looked at her sneering as she giggled. 

The buck smirked and narrowed his eyes. “You know you’re the biggest Bitch I’ve ever met?”

Skye stuck a paw to her chest and looked at the ceiling. “Flattery will get you everywhere with me.” 

“I’m hoping it does.” Jack laughed as she batted her lashes at him. While some circles had used it as a derogatory and insulting name or title, nearly all female canines thought it the highest praise they could receive. They both looked back as Nick yelped and watched Judy trying to choke him to death as she wrapped around his neck and kept running her jaw along his chin, leaving her scent all over him.

The fox pulled at her arms laughing and fighting off the desire to rumble and do the same. “Carrots…. don’t freak out. Dinner, and we also have an audience across the table.” Judy let go and leaned back in her chair, grabbing a napkin she was dotting her eyes with as Jack and Skye held paws under the table. The vixen cooed as they all looked at her.

“Stupid Love.” Skye sighed.

“You think love is stupid?” Judy asked as she laid the napkin in her lap and leaned against Nick’s shoulder looking up at him as he smiled at her. 

Skye shook her head watching them before she looked back at Jack. “No, I just think it makes people stupid. It will make you do anything to get there. The kind of love that will put you in chains and break the ones that held you down. It makes you feel like you are flying at the same time. On cloud nine, crazy, reckless, Stupid Love.” 

Jack smirked and shook his head. “She has room to talk. How many foxes get flirty like she does around other people.”

“Not many.” Nick agreed as they both looked at Skye.

The vixen shrugged. “I’ve been around rabbits long enough that I don’t think about it in small groups of them like Judy’s family, or a few people. Nick is definitely stupid when it comes to how he talks and probably thinks about some things.”

Judy was giggling as Nick kept grinning at her. “I’m not sorry I want his Stupid Love. I couldn’t have gotten past the walls and doors I had up if he hadn’t been reckless, and crazy about it.” The fox growled at her, sending the fur on the back of her neck up and she shivered making Jack and Skye laugh. 

Shelley stood on the ledge and cleared her throat. They all looked at her with beaming smiles as she held a little notepad and pen in one paw. “What would you guys like?”

Nick looked back to Judy with an evil smile. “It’s a shame roasted rabbit isn’t on the menu. But I suppose I’m really the only one who can roast you, aren’t I?” Jack fell over the top of the table laughing as Judy’s jaw fell and Skye was giggling as Shelley covered her mouth.

“Niiiick!” she pulled at her ears as the fox chuckled. “Don’t get me all worked up, you know I can only control things to a certain point!”

“I’m planning on getting you to a place where you can control yourself no matter what happens. This is how you got this far, so I’m just going to keep working on it.”

Shelley cocked her head to the side with a furled brow as Jack looked at her shaking his head. She shrugged as the buck looked over the menu. “I’ll have the house special.” 

Skye shot him a coy smile and the buck sat an arm over the top of the table when she smirked. “You can’t have the house special here. Because I’m the house.”

Nick laughed as Judy looked at them wide eyed. “Do all foxes talk like that?”

Jack chewed his lip and shifted in his seat when Skye snickered and nodded. “To their mates, probably. We are pretty vocal with our partners when it comes to that particular issue.” 

Judy curled one side of her lip and Nick lifted a brow before he was chuckling. “I suppose Gideon didn’t?”

“Not really.” She answered as she stuck her fork in the salad. 

Nick looked up finding Jack and Skye watching both of them. “Gideon?” 

“Her ex. Really nice guy, but he grew up around rabbits in the country. A little strange for a fox. He’s a baker and married a sheep they went to school with. He came in with the Hopps last week and….” Nick stopped as Judy lifted her ears watching him in shock. “What? You said he was a nice guy, and he is, so I’m trying to be nice too.” He looked back at Jack and Skye as they watched him shaking their heads. “You guys should meet him. The guy is huge for a fox, about Wolford’s size, a few inches taller than I am, and I’m a little tall for red foxes.”

“I bet he’s not as big as you are.” Skye shot, giggling as she looked at Judy.

Nick looked at Jack as he bit his lip and Jack turned his head trying to avoid looking at Judy. The fox looked back at Judy and started grinning as her cheeks flushed. “Carrots? Are you blushing?! Oooh, I’ve never seen you turn that red before. Not like this anyway.”

The doe stuffed a forkful of salad into her mouth and shook her head. “Could we please talk about something else? Anything else?”

“I’m taking it you two haven’t tied the knot yet?” Jack asked snickering as Nick’s ears flipped back.

“When exactly was it you two tied the knot?” Judy asked with a sickening smile as Nick and Skye both let their jaws drop.

Nick blinked as he looked at Jack. “You have a ….?!”

Jack smirked and nodded as he rested an arm on the table looking at Judy, and she mirrored the facial expression. “A change of subject it is, Judy. I really want to know how that works though if he is what causes the ‘trouble’. And how you’ve both been avoiding….being seen like that.”

Nick pulled at his shirt collar and rolled his eyes as Skye snickered. “We’ve been really busy since…everything. Judy went right into the police academy a couple of days after Lionheart announced the case was closed to the press. Partially to save the mammal inclusion program, and partially because it put the Z.PD., the Mayor’s office and a lot of officers in some compromising positions trying to avoid explaining everything. We’ve only been able to see each other on the weekends and well…. Anyway- How would she know if you had a…”

Jack laughed as Skye turned her eyes to the corners watching him. “I guess that would be a little difficult to explain to the press wouldn’t it? She knows because she’s like me and can smell better than most mammals. Since my wife has been teasing since we left the ceremony, I’d imagine it wasn’t hard for her to pick up the scent.” He looked back at Nick as the fox’s face fell. “We aren’t bunnies, Wilde.” Nick watched Jack looking off with a sinister smile before he turned back to the Arctic vixen as she growled at him in a playfully low voice. 

“Not all of you is bunny anyway.” Skye giggled.

“Excuse me?” They all cleared their throats, having forgotten the little mammal was waiting and Shelley shook her head and wrote down Jack’s order, waiting for the others until they all looked over their menus. 

Nick, Skye, and Judy placed their orders and she wrote it out before hopping to a lower ledge. “I’ll refill your drinks after I give the order to the chef, and you should have everything else within ten minutes.” They all thanked her, watching her head to the kitchen. 

“So, how is Officer Snarlov?” Jack asked as he grabbed part of the salad and moved the bowl closer to Skye.

“Swiss?” Nick asked as he looked at Judy and shrugged. “Pretty good, I guess. We haven’t seen much of him since he came back to work. He met a girl at the hospital and hasn’t been spending as much time at the bar. It looks like he’s getting ready to settle down too.”

“Who’d he meet?” Judy asked as she grabbed the tongs and refilled her plate.

Nick shook his head. “No one really knows. He talked a lot about her when he first came back to work, but I guess there were some problems trying to identify her. He said she lost her memory and was really confused. She thought her fur and eyes were the wrong color when they met but she forgot about that too.” Judy made a funny face as Nick sat his fork down. “Carrots? Something wrong?”

“No. Just a weird thought, anyway, what else happened?”

Nick shrugged. “He said no one ever came forward looking for her. Since rabbits don’t have pawprints and she had no record to make a DNA match, no one knows who she is. No one ever came up that matched her description in missing persons, and we think that’s why he seems so protective of her.”

“That’s odd.” Jack stuffed a forkful of salad in his mouth as Skye nodded. “Rabbits are pretty tight knit when it comes to family. They don’t usually lose track of one of their own.”

“I have to use the restroom. I’ll be right back.” Judy stood and gave Nick a sarcastic look as he opened his mouth. 

“Well I hope everything comes out alright.” Nick yelped as Judy smacked his shoulder. Jack and Skye were laughing at them as she left.

The fox turned back to Jack and shrugged. “Eh, I think he may have found out something. He hired a private investigator to figure it out. He said the guy guaranteed he could find anyone or anything he wanted to get information on. He got pretty tight lipped about her a few months ago. We asked about the investigator, but that’s about the same time he stopped talking. All he says now is that she’s a bunny and she’s different, so we don’t ask. Canceled the plans he had on bringing her to the bar to meet everyone.”

“A wolf is dating a bunny?” Jack asked and Nick shrugged.

“Snarlov is pretty small for a wolf. He’s about the same height I am.”

Judy returned to the table and sat down as Shelley refilled their drinks before she hopped off the table and left them to their own conversation again. 

“How is Wolford doing?” Jack asked.

“Fort? He’s almost always at the bar in his off hours helping Spicy. She hired a few new girls to help run things. That place is open twenty-four hours a day now.”

“Stupid Love.” Skye giggled.

Jack snickered. “Must be something in the air around here. People are just falling left and right.”

When Shelley came back to the table, they all waited patiently as she maneuvered two trays and cringed after she sat the plates down. “Is something wrong with your order?”

Nick and Jack looked at each other snickering as they all exchanged plates and the little meercat blinked as both foxes switched meals with the rabbits at the table. She had assumed they were being cute and ordering for each other with their dishes and blinked as both rabbits dug into the fish, while the foxes grabbed some crickets that had been left in a bowl and sprinkled them over the vegetables they had ordered. She walked away from the table confused as they each glanced at each other chuckling. After they had finished their meal Nick had tried to pick up the bill and Jack shook his head as he snatched the ticket. “Consider it an early wedding gift, or an engagement present.”

“What makes you think we’re inviting you to the wedding? You cheap Bastard.” Nick chuckled and Skye laughed as Judy socket him in the arm. “Ow!”

Jack was hissing as he paid the bill, watching Nick rubbing his arm after he left a tip on the table. “I know he’s just kitting, Judy.”

Nick nodded as Judy glared at him. A wide yawn and the red fox motioned to the door. “I think I could use a nap before we do anything else.” 

“Are you guys going back out again tonight?” Skye asked as Nick held the door open for them.

Nick shook his head. “Not tonight, I have other plans.” 

Judy looked at him and curled her brow. “I thought we were going to the Pig Sty tonight?”

“No. There’s something I want to show you and we need to sleep before you’re first day on the job.”

“My first day? I didn’t think any of the graduates started until next week?” Judy asked as Skye looked at Jack and dropped her brow when the buck turned his head grinning. 

“Well, apparently someone wants you there tomorrow, Carrots. You two should come to the Pig Sty tomorrow night if you’re still in town. Carrots already knows everyone because of everything that happened, but the rest of the rookies won’t be introduced to the place or their new partners until after their first day.”

“We can do that.” Jack mirrored Nick’s yawn as if it were a virus and sent Skye cupping her muzzle fighting not to follow their lead. “I think we might need a nap too.”

Judy smirked as they left the restaurant. “You think I’m going to let you sleep, Nick?”

“Fuck, noooo.” he smirked, and Jack started laughing at Nick’s particular use of words. 

“We’ll see you two tomorrow.” Skye waved as they went two different directions. The vixen sat behind the wheel and watched Jack chuckling as Nick opened the door for Judy. “Jack, you better explain what’s going on.”

The buck sighed as he turned to her and chuckled. “It was Bellwether’s idea and I’ll brief you on everything tonight because we are going to be busy tomorrow. If she gets elected as the next mayor, let’s just say that little sheep is going to have her paws in all kinds of things and is opening some doors that might surprise a lot of people. She said she’d been talking to some people who had the same problems Judy did, but wouldn’t give me a lot of details because she has someone else overseeing everything. Until I talk to her guy it’s their ball game.”

Skye rolled her eyes looking back at Nick and Judy. “Let me guess. The Devils’ Dawn?”

Jack snickered as he bounced in his seat. “Something like that…….” They looked back watching Nick, and Judy get to their car.

Nick opened the door for Judy, letting her into the passenger seat. As he started driving the doe was looking around, wondering where they were going as he pulled up in front of a little yellow house surrounded by a neighborhood that looked like it was in need of…a little bit of everything. “Come on, Carrots.”

She left her seat looking around and watched Nick walk to the door and swing it open. While the outside looked like it was in disrepair, the inside was a cute little space with warm wood tones and green wallpaper covered in lighter palm designs. “This is….” Nick chuckled as she looked around and nodded. “I had to make a few deals to get it back and will be paying for it for years. But luckily, I know everyone, and Mr. Big likes us…a lot. I didn’t think I wanted it back because it would remind me of everything that happened, but…”

“Nick….” She mumbled as she walked through the living room and looked around. “You bought a house and did all this without talking to me first?”

His ears pinned to his head and he cringed as she stopped and looked back at him. “I uhm…Sigh. I guess I should have asked first. This isn’t the greatest part of town or Zootopia, but you have been pretty vocal about not caring about the things I had or didn’t have, even about us being able to-

“I love it. I think it’s great you got the house you grew up in back.” The fox smiled as she looked around and stepped closer wrapping her arms around him. “But I want us to talk to each other about everything. You’re the reason I can do that now and I don’t want you to feel like you can’t do the same thing with me.”

“I do. But a surprise isn’t the same thing as a secret you know? The Devil’s in the details.”

“So…. What time do we have to be there in the morning?” She giggled as he wrapped around her grinning. “Is there a bedroom?”

“We have to be there half an hour before the shift change so you can fill out some papers, get your locker, etc. There’s no rush. Do you want to try again?”

“Yes, Yes I do.” Nick chuckled before he caught her in a kiss and hit a knee after she grabbed a chunk of his neck and dragged her teeth over his skin. She looked up blinking as he looked her over shaking his head with a flat brow. “What’s wrong?” She reached up to his face and gasped seeing her paw a bright furless red, and back to him before her eyes lifted above his head. “What is that thing?”

“What thing?” he asked as he looked up, shaking his head as she waved her paw back and forth over his ears like she was trying to grab something. “How are you not turning this place into a sauna right now?”

“I don’t know. You can’t see that thing above you?” She watched a ring appear over his head and light up each time they touched, fading each time they moved away from each other. They had both spent so much time getting over the past, and themselves that there had been times she was worried he wasn’t ready to be that close to anyone, and she had felt the same thinking she might hurt him. He couldn’t see it, and neither could any other mortal on the earthly plain, unless they had also become one with a demon who could see it. Judy and her demon were no longer two separate entities. If they had both reached a place where they were ready, and Nick was in the same place, it made just as much sense if the Gods had gotten involved.

“I don’t see anything. See what?” he asked looking over his head as she bit her lip. Nick curled his lip looking at her ear and lifted a brow.

“What?” he ran his fingers over the earring and shook his head. “I thought I saw your ring glowing for a second. Eh, must have just caught the light right. What are you looking at?”

“It’s you. You’re the reason I’m not setting anything on fire or bursting into flames.”

“Oh, am I?” he asked grinning. Her eyes shot open as he jerked forward, wrapping his jaw around her throat and grabbing her butt in his paws. She squeaked and closed her eyes as he squeezed her butt and pulled her to her toes. Nick looked back at her flat faced after letting go and chuckled as her eyes flashed red and rolled back. “This is the first time I’ve been able to touch you without you pulling away or singing my fur. You got rid of those pills because you wanted to be alert and be able to pay attention when we were together didn’t you?” She nodded as he smirked. “Well I have your all your attention and I’m at full attention, Carrots. I think we’ve played golf long enough.”

“Golf? We’ve never played golf.” 

“We’ve been playing for months and whatever it is that’s keeping you from catching on fire isn’t going to work for very long.” 

“Why not?” Judy cringed and looked at him frowning. 

The fox smirked and lowered his head as she raised her brows. “Because I am going to set you on fire again. I plan on getting a hole in one this time and I’m not taking any chances on Fore-play.”

Judy’s eyes bulged as he rolled his paw down her back. One swift move and he had her on the floor looking up at him blinking before he rolled her over and latched onto the scruff of her neck. “Oh Gods!” She whispered as her tail shot up, rushing over his abdomen. He started chuckling when her claws dug into the carpet and her eyes flashed red before they clamped shut……


	28. Make Your Mark

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Duty Calls

Katy Perry; Roar

Loren Aldren; Never Enough*

Wolford looked up at Jack shaking his head. “I don’t know why you think you have to do it like this. I get why you didn’t tell me about it until after they left because she can sniff out a lie, but you know she’s going to know it’s not me.”

The buck glanced at Chief Bogo and shook his head. “I’m actually fairly sure she won’t know it’s you. We managed to talk to a few people last night and found some help.”

Bogo watched the door swing open and kept his eyes on a tiny fox walking into the room, followed by a small ewe dressed in clothes that were a failing attempt at keeping her identity hidden. “Assistant Mayor Bellwether. I doubt anyone didn’t notice you walked in here, with Mr. Finnick.”

“They didn’t.” Finnick smirked as Bogo looked at him narrowing his eyes. “They saw what I wanted them to see and nothin else. You quit worryin too, Wolf. She won’t smell ya either.” The small fox looked at Wolford and broke into a barking laugh as Bogo shook his head. “A wolf in sheep’s clothing! Never thought I’d see the literal version of that!”

Wolford growled as he looked at Bogo and shook his head. Jack and Skye shook paws with Bellwether before they took seats and looked over the map he pulled down. “This is where we are going. I had Clawhauser send all units a mile from the target, far enough away that no one will get there before we see if this is going to work, but it’s still close enough that they can get there quickly if they are needed.”

Finnick sucked in a breath and shook his head. “Ya won’t need them. I’ll be there and he has plenty of people already waiting.” Jack looked at Skye and he shrugged as she rolled her eyes.

Bogo almost growled as he looked back at Finnick and tipped his glasses forward. “You aren’t one of mine and are here because the Mayor and assistant Mayor brought you in on this little ‘idea’. An idea I am still not fond of because it carries the risk of-”

“Nothin.” Finnick growled as he flashed his teeth. “It carries the risk of nothin with me there. If ya all are done lolligaggin, I got other things to take care of. I got other places to see and people to do.”

Bogo growled as Finnick left the room, letting the door slam behind him. “Sir?” Jack asked and Bogo frowned looking back at him. “I don’t think it wise to get off on the wrong foot with the guy who has enough power to control demons and their destinations.”

“Savalde, I don’t think it wise for you to keep trying to kiss my ass to smooth this over! Or that you are letting some little mammal who claims he has power have influence over you, the Z.B.I. and city officials!” Bogo jumped and they all looked at him with wide eyed as his lip twitched. No one in the room could see what he was seeing as a red fox stood in front of him grinning. “WILDE! What are you doing here?! You’re supposed to be with Hopps on the other side of Tundra Town!”

Jack and Skye glanced at each other as Wolford and Bellwether looked around shaking their heads.

The bull snorted as the fox chuckled, and jumped as he was surrounded by a room full of Nicholas Wilde’s, all throwing their paws up in the air. 

“Hey Chief? You know you could write your own greeting cards?”

“Hey Chief! My tiny mouth is going to be asking you questions for the rest of your life!”

“Hey Chief! I’m going to stay with you all the time! No one else will ever see me!”

“Hey Chief! We’ll be bestest secret friends foreeever!” 

One Nick looked at another scowling as Bogo shook his head. “I think he’s having a bad day. He never comes to the Pig Sty, maybe he has a sad miserable life? We should do something to cheer him up. I know! Let’s just keep talking until he starts laughing! We could even make up a pretend investigation for him! Do you think that would work?”

“Yes, absolutely. One hundred percent!” 

“Hey Chief! We should try to find out where Wolford found a sheep suit that fits him like that!”

“Hey Chief? Do you think these pants make my butt look big?”

“Hey Chief! Did you know I call you Buffalo butt?”

“Hey Chief!”

“Hey Chief!”

“Hey Chief!”

“AHHH!” Bogo screamed as he threw his paws up and closed his eyes. The bull opened them again to find Jack, Skye, Wolford and Bellwether gaping at the little fox in front of him after he appeared out of thin air.

Finnick smirked as he cocked his head to the side and smiled. “Your balls aint as big as the rest of ya when someone knows what your nightmares are, are they, Buffalo butt?”

Bogo leaned over and narrowed his eyes with a condescending smile. “Don’t ever do that again.”

“Did I make my point? Or should I call up the worst one ya got?” Finnick chuckled as he looked at the others and back to Bogo with his eyes glowing red.

“No. That will do.” Bogo growled and blinked as the little fox nodded and looked to Jack.

“Did ya get what I asked ya to get for Judy? She gets riled and ends up in the fur and it’s gonna be him that’s turnin red.”

Jack nodded. “I gave it to Bogo yesterday. It was given to her this morning. Her uniform will stretch thirty times larger than she is and is fireproof. All the safety pieces that attach have pieces that will stretch as well and will snap away if they extend to a certain point.”

Finnick looked back to Bogo scowling. “She ask about why her uniform was different than everyone else’s?”

“It wasn’t difficult to tell her it had to be tailor made because she is the smallest officer and had safety features because of her size.”

Finnick chuckled and they all blinked as he vanished. Bog shook his head looking around. “If he can get in someone’s head, he could be making us see what he wants and be telling her what he wants her to do and we’d never know.”

“She will see and smell what I want her too, along with everyone else there, but I cannot change her mind, or who she is. You know where I’ll be.” They all looked around hearing 

Finnick’s voice, but not a trace of him lingered. “We’ll talk about what you want later, Savalde.” They looked at Jack and he cringed before puffing his cheeks out and looking back at Wolford as he grabbed the zipper on his sheep suit and pulled it up. 

“Chief?”

The bull looked at the clock and nodded as Bellwether chewed her lip. “Wilde and Hopps should be on their lunch break now. You have an hour to set everything up. Get on it.” Jack picked up his phone chuckling as Skye pulled her keys from her pocket. They were all out the door as Bogo stopped and folded his arms over his chest looking at Bellwether. “Lionheart has agreed to this and for some reason they all think it’s a good idea. I know a few of the mammals he has pulled in who are cursed. I hope this doesn’t blow up in all our faces.”

Dawn giggled as she looked up at him. “Prey have always been underestimated and underappreciated, the smaller we are the worse that idea is. If we can get her to agree to represent the Z.P.D. as a spokesperson and show everyone what we can do together? It’s a win for all of us. The predators are loud and strong, but we out number them ten to one. It’s about time everyone saw that we aren’t just cute little mammals who can’t do the same things. Think of it…If we all unite together, we’ll be unstoppable.”

Bogo shook his head looking out the doors they had left through. “I hate politics. Using her to get some publicity doesn’t seem like the best thing to do with the possibility this may backfire.”

The little sheep looked up at him smiling as she cupped her paws. “I’m not the mayor yet, but if something goes wrong, I will take full responsibility for it. We will be checking everything first and have safety measures in place. I wouldn’t want Theodore to get in trouble.”

“Theodore?” Bogo lifted a brow as Dawn blushed. “And why is the Z.B.I. involved?”

Dawn giggled looking up at him. “I guess you’ll have to ask the Agents, after everything is over with Officers Wilde and Hopps. Savalde had an idea I thought might be useful, so I asked Mr. Finnick for some help trying to get it started. After he talked to a few of them I was sure we could keep everyone….safe. They can decide what they want to do and if they want to stay with us or go with Savalde at a later point if it works. I’m sure everything will be fine once the ball gets rolling.” 

Bogo scowled as he checked on the location of Wilde and Hopps. “Clawhauser, clear them for lunch.”

“Yes Sir!” Benji chirped ass he picked up the mic.

The morning had been filled with excitement as Judy looked around with a content sigh. Nick watched her chuckling. “So, do you think you got the right job? Is it everything you hoped for?”

“Yea.” She sighed again as she looked at him from the driver’s seat. “Why am I driving though? I thought rookies weren’t supposed to be able to do that. It’s also in the pawbook that Bogo gave me this morning that partners can’t be in relationships, so I don’t understand that either. Nothing about it makes sense. What about Wolford?”

“It’s his department. He can change the rules if he wants to. If Wolford agreed to this, I’m sure he had his reasons. I don’t think he was lying about keeping us together, was he?”

“No.” Judy looked off shaking her head as Nick’s ears perked. When she caught him watching her, she shrugged. “He just smelled really nervous and seemed on edge.”

The fox chuckled. “I think he’s always like that with rookies. Like he has a new kit to watch over or something. He feels like it’s his job to make sure we are all doing the right thing, and it is, but he also feels responsible if something happens to one of us. He just doesn’t show it very often. As far as the driving goes, it’s actually up to the superior officer. I thought it might help you figure out the roads around here and get to know the place better. You haven’t had a license for very long either. Pull over right there.” 

“Unit Forty-Seven, You’re clear for lunch.” 

“10-4 Benji.” Nick stuck the mic back up and she pulled up to a curb where a large polar bear removed a chain from the entrance to the driveway.

“Nick? What are we doing here?! We can’t come to Mr. Big’s house in a squad car as police officers!” 

He chuckled as she parked the car. ‘We are on our lunch break, Carrots. He invited us for a reason.”

Judy moaned nervously as she left the car and walked behind Nick. After coming down the hallway she stopped in front of the desk as Mr. Big chuckled, resting his head on the top of one paw. Raymond sat a tray down and let Nick pour himself some coffee, but Judy declined and fidgeted nervously. Mr. Big snickered again as Boris held a paw open, letting a very pregnant Fru Fru leave his paw and stand beside her father. “Hi Judy!” She squeaked. 

The doe ticked her head to the side looking at her hair and smiled. “I love your hair. Everything else is a good look on you too. 

Fru Fru giggled as she rubbed her belly. “I’m gonna name her Judy!”

Judy cooed as she stuck a paw on her chest. Mr. Big chuckled, and Nick smiled as Kevin sat down another tray and opened the door. Mr. Otterton came in, followed by his wife and she curled around the bunny as Judy stood in shock. “I just wanted to say Thank you.” She turned wrapping her arms around her husband as Judy gave them both a slight nod.

Mr. Big pointed, and Nick and Judy took a seat before they all shared lunch. The conversation led into Mr. Big asking about her species and Judy explained someone in her family line had been a hybrid of a red fox many generations ago. 

“You are the only one who has these traits in your family?” Fru Fru asked.

Judy was munching on raw carrots as she shook her head. “I’m the only Anterior rabbit. But I think it may be in other members of my family too. It was my father’s side of the family, but I know my mother had a crush on a fox when she was a kit. Maybe she saw it in my father and didn’t recognize it before they got married. She used to tell the story about the fox she liked all the time. Gramps brought them to the city to visit Zootopia’s parks and he kissed her on the chee- Judy dropped the carrot she was holding, and Nick furled his brow as she stared into nothing with a frozen expression on her face. Chills ran up her spine as the dots connected.

“Carrots? What stopped the story?”

She shook herself and shivered as Mr. Big and Fru Fru glanced at each other. Mr. and Mrs. Otterton waited as she picked up the carrot and tossed it in a wastebasket next to the desk.   
“Gramps passed away right after I started school, but anything my Granny can do, he could do better. He threw something at the little fox to make him run away from her. A little fox kissed my mother on the cheek, Nick.” 

Nick blinked as his jaw fell slightly. “Your grandfather is the one who…? You look a lot like her, you both have purple eyes and I bet he imprinted on….That might be why he was helping you.” She nodded and he started snickering and shook his head as he stood looking at his watch. “We should get going. It will take a few minutes to get back to where we’re supposed to be patrolling.” They shook paws with the Otterton’s and said goodbye before the otters walked back down the hall they had come from.

Mr. Big and Fru Fru said their goodbyes and Judy stopped at the door scrunching her nose as she looked around. “This place smells so funn-” Her eyes snapped open in shock as she looked back to Mr. Big and then to the red fox standing next to her. “YOU’VE BEEN-

Mr. Big raised a paw cutting her off as Nick cringed. “May I have a word alone with Ms. Hopps before you leave, Nicky?” Judy looked up at him and Nick ticked his head and nodded, leaving her with a soft kiss. “We have been very careful, Judy. How did you know?”

“We cannot keep coming her as officers! Why wouldn’t you just tell him?”

“He must never find out, Officer Hopps.” Mr. Big growled as she frowned harder. The shrew sighed as he rubbed his forehead. “When the opportunity for him to become a police officer came about, I had no involvement, but it put distance between us, which made him safer. One of my adversaries suspected Aria was with me and not Boris a few years ago. I heard through the grapevine that they were planning on killing her because when I lost my wife, I nearly lost my mind as well. Nicky would have been right in the line of fire. No matter how powerful you are, you can’t be everywhere. Chief Bogo agreed to place her in something similar to witness protection, provided I was the protection. It has kept him safe. I believe it would be wise to keep that distance growing and if he ever found out the truth, it would hurt him even more and make him a larger target to anyone who would try to get to me because of his mother. If anyone found out what we really do here, it would collapse and….We do what we must to survive. I am asking that you do not tell him.” 

Judy dipped her head and nodded. “I don’t like secrets. I’m not going to be part of this. I won’t tell him, but I think you should.” 

“We will discuss it at length.” Mr. Big motioned to Kevin and the bear hurried her down the hallway. Fru Fru was giggling as she stepped closer to her father.   
“Maybe you should tell him, Daddy.”   
“He may hate me for it later, which I could accept. I would not be able to accept him hating her.”  
Fru Fru sighed as she took hold of her father’s paw. “Let’s hope she understands why we chose to do this and why we wanted everyone to think it was Boris and not you. I don’t ever want him to find out, but if she tells him I’ll explain it. It was my idea.”

Mr. Big sighed as Fru Fru looked between them with a soft smile. “He would be quite the target if anyone ever knew. So would you. I just want to keep you both safe, and not lose anyone else. Perhaps it would be easier if he did hate me.”

Fru Fru looked back down the hall way and giggled as she watched Judy turn and look back to the desk. “Wait!” Judy stopped as the bear lifted his head and watched Boris pull a small bx off the shelf. “Give it to him.” He handed it to Boris and Boris assed it to Kevin who let Judy take it before she looked it over. “We won’t hold you to being part of this. It was nice to meet you, Judy Hopps.” 

Mr. big looked back down the hall as the door opened and watched Judy look back and sigh before she walked outside. 

Nick looked up as she tapped on the glass and opened the door. “Can you drive, Nick?” 

He nodded as he left the passenger seat and after getting behind the wheel, he waited for the chain to be removed from the entrance before he backed the patrol car out. “What happened?”

“How did Mr. Big’s wife die?” Judy bit her lip in a sour face as she looked back to the driveway they had left.

Nick cringed as she watched him chewing his cheek. “He was in pretty bad shape. If I had thought about it, I’m still not sure I would have figured out it was him with my mother and not Boris. One of his rivals had his wife killed. It was about a year before I met him. He wouldn’t let Fru Fru out of his sight and they stayed locked up in the house constantly. After Mom came trying to help me get out of trouble, she started staying here and trying to help with Fru Fru because Mr. Big’s mother passed away right after that. She convinced him Fru Fru needed to be around other people and go back to school. I think she was about seven years old? The bears were exhausted from not sleeping because he got really paranoid about everyone and everything. Fru Fru wasn’t doing too good either, she pulled away from everyone and stopped talking right after her grandmother died. I went the other direction and started getting into trouble after my Dad died. I guess they had more in common than I thought. I was a teenager when they met.”

“What about your mother?”

Nick sighed and shook his head as he looked out the window. “It was sudden. Foxes don’t usually live that long after they lose their mate, she must have really loved him because she lived longer than any fox who’d lost a mate had before. That was the only time I ever saw Chief Bogo and Mr. Big in a room together that they weren’t both trying to scope each other out. I guess I got a little closer to the guys at the precinct and pulled away from the Big’s and Boris. I had a lot more respect for Bogo after that. Family reunions and funerals tend to bring out the worst in people and they all put it aside. I didn’t think much about it at the time because Mr. Big acted like it didn’t bother him too much and Boris is just Boris. He never says anything and always looks unhappy. He just grunts.” The fox chuckled as he looked back to Judy. “I guess what she used to tell us all the time stuck. Never let them see they get to you. What have you go there?”

Judy looked off making a final decision as her eyes hit the floor. She wanted no part of a lie, or to be the one breaking his heart, but understood why they had done what they were doing. “We can’t come here again, Nick. I know how much you care about him and his family and how much he has helped you, but Cops can’t be seen having meetings with the mob, not even in their off hours. It looks bad.”

The fox sighed and nodded as he pulled back onto the streets. “You’re right, Carrots. I’ll tell him. He’ll understand.” 

She nodded as he turned down the street, and leaned forward asking him to pull to the side of the road after letting Clawhauser know they were getting back to their patrol. Judy handed him the box and he curled a brow as he opened it, shaking is head as a familiar phone sat in the box. “This was my mothers…” he plugged it in, and Judy watched the screen light up as a video of a red furred vixen played. She moved closer as her voice rang through the car, watching Nick’s eyes water as she explained everything that had happened. How they had lied, that Chief Bogo knew she was still alive and that she had gotten sick shorty after and felt guilty for taking the time she had left with him away even though she knew it was the only way to keep him safe. Mr. Big sat next to her finger, as if he were a lifeline she kept petting before her voice grew soft as said her final goodbyes. The frame ended with the bears around the bed, and Fru Fru curling around her father as he looked up with blue eyes flowing like streams. Nick sat there trying to keep his breath still until he felt Judy running her head under his chin. The fox let the phone fall as he curled around her.  
“Everything she did, she did because she loved you, Nick.”  
“I know.” He pulled himself back together and sniffled as he looked out the window grinning. “They stayed with her until the end. She was never alone.” Judy almost giggled as he wrapped around her again. “I can live with that.”  
After ten minutes of driving the route and holding paws the radio blared as Clawhauser called for assistance. Bogo stood over the desk making sure he had turned off the other radio’s so Nick and Judy were the only ones who heard him. “All available units, robbery at First National bank in Tundra Town.”

Nick picked up the radio and looked at Judy as her ears set. “Wilde-Hopps; ETA one minute.” He stuck it back on the dash and Judy flipped the lights on as he did a u turn and hit the gas. 

“I thought you were supposed to use the vehicle I.D. for that?” Judy asked and Nick smirked as he shrugged. 

“Oopsie?”

She shook her head as they pulled up in front of the bank and looked around. Nick pulled his tranq gun and watched Judy do the same as they both stepped to opposite sides of the door, looking through the broken glass. They snuck in watching a large ram screaming as he held a gun he was waving around, and watched the mammals on the floor cringing as one of the tellers stuffed cash in a bag from behind the island. Several other squad cars pulled up with their sirens blaring and lights flashing, sending the armed mammals into a flight of screaming and the hostages trying to shrink into themselves.

A glance around and Judy cringed. “There are five of them and a little over two dozen other mammals on the floor. Should we ask what they want?”

Nick shook his head looking out the door. “Pretty obvious what they want. Bogo doesn’t negotiate with anyone. We need to-” Nick froze as he looked up and dropped his gun as the barrel of another one pressed to his head. 

Judy growled and the large ram sneered at her. “Did you two think we were stupid? You just became the leverage that will get us out of here.” He looked at Judy as she lowered her brow as her muscles tensed. “Do you want to be wearing him?” She tossed her gun and sighed as he ordered them to their feet.

Finnick stood on the roof of another building grinning as his eyes glowed. He looked at Jack as the buck watched a screen connected to the cameras in the bank. Skye tipped her ears watching as Nick and Judy were thrown into a small closet. “This is stupid!” she growled as she shook her head. “What they are doing is stupid! How are they believing any of this?”

Finnick looked back to the bank and Jack scowled at her. “It’s supposed to be stupid. They’re amateur robbers and they need to look like they are.” Skye rolled her eyes and watched Nick and Judy looking at the door.

Nick sighed as he sat down and shook his head. “Bogo is going to chew my ass for this.” His ears set as Judy looked around the floor shaking her head.

“How did I not smell him, or sense him being there?”

The fox cringed as she folded her knees. “Maybe because we got past our issues, you lost some of your abilities?” She shook her head as he leaned forward. “Carrots?”

“It’s not that, Nick. If anything, I want you more now than I did before.”

“Really?” he asked a little cockily as she looked at him flat faced. “You aren’t kitting….O.K.” He chuckled as he moved closer. “So, you are both on the same page?”

“It’s only one page.” Judy smirked as he cocked his head to one side. She sighed as she looked at the door. “It’s a new thing. A demon can possess a body, but the owner of the body can possess a demon if they’re strong enough. Demons can be possessed, or chose to join with the person they were cursed to. We are the same person now.”

“Can you still shift back to your demon form?” he asked, and Judy shrugged.

“Maybe, but I don’t know how I could if you can keep me from doing that when you are what caused it.”

Nick huffed as he looked at the door, listening to the mammals outside screaming. “How did the other one do that when she didn’t have a mate?”

Judy shook her head. “She was in love, or obsessed at least. I think she could do it because it’s all she ever thought about. She was trying to find someone else to be with because she didn’t want to hurt….” Judy sighed as Nick cringed. “She got to a point that every time she revealed herself to someone, if the person she showed her demon to was afraid she just killed them, I think?”

“I still think you and your demon are sexy beasts.” Nick smirked as he scooted away, and Judy let her ears fall watching him nodding. “So maybe you should just think about it? Think about all the things I can do for you…to you.” He snickered as her ears shot up. “We still aren’t close enough even though we have…” He tipped a brow chuckling as she bit her lip.

“You will never get close enough for me to be comfortable, Nick.”

He moved another length away as she narrowed her eyes. “So, think about all those little places I can get to that you can’t, the way my claws feel on you. Brushing through your fur while my teeth are pulling at your senses and my tongue is…..” 

Judy’s eyes turned red and slammed shut as Nick giggled. “Just imagine doing all the things we haven’t done yet and me being the one you live out all your worldly pleasures with. Maybe I can make a fantasy or something come true? Got any good ones? I’d love to hear what you think is the best part? What is it that really sets you off? I know you really loved the knot.”

Judy groaned as her fingers twisted together and shook her head. “That wasn’t it?” He asked grinning as her paws kept patting her legs. He tipped a brow and smirked. “Ah, you get it from watching…..” 

“No. It’s the heartbeat.” She groaned and he tipped his head nodding at the pattern her paws were making. Too slow for a bunny’s heart. 

“Heartbeat? It was a feeling? Mine…Feeling my heart beat pulsing inside you through…..OOOH. Well think about that. My heart beating inside you with our bodies locked together and me breathing on your ears. The closest two people can ever get to each other having one body.” Nick scooted back further, biting his lip as she growled, watching the smaller horns on her head pop up above her eyes as she shoved her paws between her legs shivering. He dropped his voice to a seductive whisper as Judy started huffing. “OOOH, and I would love to know what it feels like if I could have you in that demon form. That beautiful red furless skin and all that heat pouring from you when you are excited. I can’t even imagine what it feels like to have someone running their claws along skin that isn’t covered by fur, but my Gods I bet that would feel like heaven.”

Outside the door several ears perked as a growl vibrated the floors. Wolford looked at the fake paws he was wearing and aimed his gun at the door waiting - Keeping up with the act as he started shouting again and several ears from the floor perked. “What the hell are you doing in there!?” He asked as his ‘accomplices’ aimed at the door too. The ‘hostages’ stayed to the ground watching with wide eyes as several dents came up in the metal. Each of them were agents from the Z.B.I. that Jack had selected due to them being a little more open minded than others. The guns all held nothing but blanks, and Wolford had chosen the lead because he wasn’t taking any risks with someone else pointing a gun at his partner. When the door flew off and slammed across the hall they were looking down, the ‘ram’ backed up as a massive red demon jumped from the little room and barreled closer roaring. 

A blast of heat flew out and the guns were dropped as they half melted. Wolford was on the floor wide eyed as the other ‘robbers’ dropped to the floor and covered their heads like they were hiding from a tornado. Nick looked out chuckling as she growled in the ram’s face.

Finnick smirked as he dropped everything he was doing and let them get back to her own senses and not the ones he had been projecting. He walked away from Jack and Skye as they stared at the screen.

Nick leaned into a wall grinning as Judy blinked a few times. “Wolford?” she asked and stepped back as he grabbed the hidden zipper and pulled it down, letting the fake sheep head fall behind his neck.

“You got me, Judy. I surrender, we all do.”

“FORT?” Nick asked shaking his head as the wolf sat up smiling. “WHAT THE HELL? I THOUGHT WE WERE PAST THIS!”

“We are, Nick. I never had a problem with you caring about other people. I had a problem with you caring about others or helping them so much that you couldn’t take care of yourself. I think you may have fixed that problem.” He looked around grinning and Judy cupped Nick’s shoulder smiling before she caught her uniform and looked it over blinking. “How is this uniform not ruined?”

“I have no idea what’s going on, Carrots. There are other things I’m more interested in though.” Nick shook his head as Wolford got to his feet.

“You guys can get up, it’s all good.” The others all got to their feet, but stayed where they were, unsure of how to move around the large red furless monster as her horns stayed lit with her tail whipping back and forth. “The mayor wanted to see what you guys could do as a team. That’s why Judy started today and not next week like the others. Everyone here is from the Z.B.I.”

Judy shrank back to herself and shifted, curling her face in confusion as she looked back to Nick. 

“I can explain.” They looked at Jack as him and Skye walked through the doors. “No one out there is an officer, they are Z.B.I. too. We are considering creating a task force.”

“I just became a police officer! This is what I’ve wanted since I was a kit!” Judy growled as her face twisted. 

Nick was scowling as Jack shook his head. “Actually, the mayor and assistant mayor want you two to stay here. They just wanted to see you working together to be sure everything was under control before offering you the positions of being the face of the Z.P.D. That and Bogo was also thinking about making you two a special division that dealt with situations like this when it’s possible. You would still keep the jobs you have, you’d just be helping with cases like this.”

Nick and Judy looked at each other as Wolford chuckled. “Under an officer with a few more years of experience than you both have.” Wolford started smiling as he threw his paws out and shrugged. “I get promoted to detective, you get her as your partner and we still get to work together. It sounded pretty good to me.”

“Task force?” Judy asked as Jack looked out the door, watching Finnick’s van roll past the squad cars outside. The doe froze as her eyes lit up and she started smiling as they watched her wave to Finnick.

Jack glanced out the window and tipped his ears forward as Judy’s eyes returned to purple. “There are a couple of handfuls of others who are cursed. I’m not sure what species they all are or exactly how many, but the skills you all have could make good agents with the right training. I have to talk to him about it later. I think he’s considering it.”

Nick chuckled as Jack looked back at him. “No way is that ever going to happen, Jack.”

“It can’t hurt to ask him and the others. He’s meeting us at the bar later.”

“Finnick is coming to the Pig Sty, again? With them?!” Nick asked and gawked as Jack and Skye both nodded. 

Wolford laughed as Nick shook his head back and forth in a slow movement of disbelief. Jack motioned for them to follow him and they ended up on the opposite roof, looking down at the small bank they had been in as he explained how they had planned everything out. Judy looked over the top of the building and Nick climbed up next to her, grabbing her paw. “You could join the task force Jack wants to set up if you want to, Carrots. I wouldn’t hold it against you.” 

Judy smirked as she squeezed his paw. “That wouldn’t do at all! You have all kinds of things I love having held against me! You can’t do that if I’m not here!” The doe looked out laughing as he motioned to the whole city.

“Tell them!” Nick laughed as she sucked in a breath. Jack and Skye looked at them grinning and shaking their heads as Judy belted out a roar that had ears all over Tundra Town jetting up and looking around for something that sounded louder than a lion. He curled around her, tilting his head to the side as she nudged under his chin. “Now everyone knows you’re my girl and I’m going to show you off every chance I get!” They watched Wolford waving from the street as the agents Jack had brought in finished cleaning everything up. “Pig Sty?” he asked after stepping down with her and she bit her lip before she grabbed his neck and raked her teeth over his skin. 

Jack and Skye cackled as Nick hit a knee, rumbling as they folded around each other. “Hey Carrots? We gotta change our shirts.”

The doe giggled as she nodded. Jack tipped a brow as they stood again. “Shirts?” Nick chuckled as he pulled his collar down and pulled out two black t shirts under his uniform. “ You had those under your uniform?”

Nick chuckled as he tossed one to Judy. “When I told Wolford I was going to ask her to marry me a couple of weeks ago, he had some shirts made for us. I think it’s probably one of my favorite things in the world. We are supposed to wear them to let everyone know it’s official.”

Jack shook his head when Judy giggled again. “Finnick should be there around seven tonight. We’ll meet you there.”

They left Nick and Judy and the fox looked out shaking his head. “You never explained the deal he made, or how you know about it.”

Judy laughed as Nick tipped a brow. “Finnick can talk to all of us. All he has to do is think about it and we will know what he knows. He’s been going around trying to talk to the others without shifting so it doesn’t scare some of them, but there are a few he’s had a hard time reaching because of where they are. Hades is going to be turning green after he figures out what Finnick did!”

“What did he do?” The doe wiped her eyes as she headed to the stairs that led back down through the building. Nick pulled her into a corner of the stair well and she rolled her eyes as he watched for anyone while she threw the t shirt on. He changed his and waited until they both had their uniform shirts buttoned to prod her again. “Finnick did what?”

“He conned a God.” Nick curled one side of his lip up as they walked down the stairs and Judy had to catch her breath before she could explain it. “Oh, boy. Hades told him he would live until no one alive could ever cast or be cursed with this curse again. But Hades wanted him to be the guardian so much he wasn’t thinking about how he said everything. Finnick asked Hades to know about anything that had already been in this world, so he knows how to cast the curse! The Gods can create things people can use that have power in this realm because they can’t live here, but anything created in this world can’t be destroyed, it can only be altered. Which means Finnick will never die and Hades has no control over him!” 

“Finnick tricked a God into giving him immortality?!” Nick blinked as Judy rolled.

“Yes, yes he did, and then some.” Judy sighed as she got in the car shaking her head. “He can also control the Demons if they get out of paw, like you can.”

“Me?” Nick asked as he scrunched his face and shook his head.

“You can keep me from hurting you, he can keep them from doing that too but I’m not sure how. He didn’t let me know what he was planning but he has something in mind.”

Nick shook his head as he started the car. “I don’t think I’m the one keeping you from hurting me. I’m pretty sure that’s you and it still hasn’t done us much good. I hope he doesn’t think I’m going to be chasing demons all over the place.”

“I think he’s going to bring them here. I got a vague impression it has something to do with Jack and Skye.”

Nick scowled and shook his head. “I should have known.”

“Nick, he’s not going to make you do anything you don’t want to.”

Nick sighed as he looked back at her frowning. “You know whatever this is, Bogo is in on it and we may not have a choice.”

The doe giggled and grabbed his paw across the seat. “We’ll figure it out. Now that Finnick is Immortal I wonder what he’s doing all the time and what he’s going to do with all the time he’s got now.”

Nick rolled his eyes. “I’m sure it’s something no one would expect. He tends to surprise people a lot.” He pulled away from the bank and headed back to the station as Judy looked out the window smiling……….

Finnick left his van in the alley and watched as a dark furred mammal kissed her husband. He left in a taxi as she went back inside. The little fox’s eyes glowed red after getting a good read on both their intentions and he shifted his form, letting dark brown fur cover him as his ears shrank and tail grew. He walked to the little house and picked up a key hidden under the mat shaking his head. “People really shouldn’t do that.” He put it back under the rug and walked inside taking on the mannerisms of her husband. She tuned and jumped clutching her chest as he smiled. “OH! Don’t scare me like that! You’ll miss your flight!”

“No, I rescheduled it. I thought we could talk for a little while before I left.”

“Talk about what? What’s important enough to miss the trip? You’ve been waiting for this opportunity for years, Vance.”

“Brandy.” he said as he motioned to the table and chairs. She sat down with worry as he took hold of one of her paws. “I just wanted to make sure you are going to be alright with me being gone for that long. I know things have been rough, but we still have each other.”

She cupped her cheek, smiling and ran her paw over his ears. “I will just have to love you even more.”

He smiled wider as they held each other’s paws. “I can take you to the Bahamas. Put all the money we saved up to good use. I have a few hours before my flight leaves. If we can’t have kits, we can still have a good time trying.”

She giggled nodding her head and grabbed him, dragging him back to the bedroom. Finnick looked back to the kitchen and his eyes flashed red as he closed the door……

Several hours later Brandy woke up as her phone rang and yawned as she stuck it to her ear. “Hey honey. I just wanted to make sure you were alright. I just got here.”

She sat up dropping her brow as she looked around. “What do you mean you just got there? You were just here. Isn’t that a two day flight?”

“Well this is just one of the layovers, but Yes.” He said as she looked at the other side of the bed and dropped the phone. “Brandy?”

Her paws trembled as she picked up the paper and the phone, reading it out loud. “Life and love are invaluable, and no amount of money can purchase the meaning or worth of either. Circumstances may cause problems on the runway and sometimes you may require a Lay-over. Congratulations, you will be parents within the next year, they will be yours biologically and healthy, so you’re going to need the money you have saved. ~Finnick~”

“We’re going to be parents!” 

“Brandy, are you awake? Are you sure you weren’t dreaming? He didn’t seem interested in helping us. They just sent up the last call for boarding. If I don’t get to the terminal, I’ll miss the flight.”

“He was here, Vance. As you, and he left a note!” She exclaimed as he looked to the runway. 

The lemur dropped to a seat and cupped his paws over his face as he fell apart. “We’re going to be parents?”

A loud explosion threw him away from the windows and he stood up trying to get the ringing out of his ears as the plane the mammals were meant to travel in broke in half and burst into flames as it scattered all over the runway. “VANCE?”

He looked back seeing the people who had been waiting to board the flight running from the terminal as the roaring from the fire pushed him from the windows and shook the building like a thundering earthquake. “I’m alright. Something happened to the plane. I don’t think I was supposed to be on it.” Brandy shook her head as he started chuckling. “Cryptic message he left, wasn’t it?” 

Brandy looked out the bedroom window catching the sight of a large brown van parked in the alley behind their house. “I think he did more than just leaving a message, Vance. I think he might have just saved you and made our dreams come true at the same time.”

Finnick dipped his head looking around with a coy smirk as her ears shot up, both of them listening to a loud roar as she pulled the curtain back. He threw the van in gear and watched her cupping a paw to her muzzle and they locked eyes before he drove away. He pulled to a stop and looked into the passenger seat, grinning as Hades growled at him. Finnick’s eyes glowed red as they glared at each other. “Immortal? Due to what you wanted in the contract? Not even I can break my own contracts and take what you have gained.” Finnick smirked as he raised a brow. Hades laughed, sending the ground shaking again with the roar of his voice. “A God you shall remain. I would venture to say you have earned it and have a like mind to us. Perhaps you should have been born as one of ours. If you break this contract and refuse to serve us, I will serve you a vengeance unlike anything anyone has ever known. I will see you dancing in flames until the end of time and that red fox you care for will be right beside you.”

“I can already dance in flames, but it will never happen, I don’t break a deal once I’ve made it. I will guard this world and yours, as it’s written. I was born to serve. This world, and yours.” He bowed his head slightly as Hades nodded. “The gold ring you gave Nick is also a binding contract, you gave him part of your invisible world. No one from the underworld can harm him because of it, not even if I did break the contract.” Finnick shook his head as Hades growled.

“Well played, Cerberus. Be careful what you wish for, you might get it. I may have little power in this world, but all things under the earth are mine. Nothing created in this world can be destroyed, but that does not mean I cannot alter it. You will never cast the curse on another and no mammal with full prey blood not already cursed, will ever carry this curse again. It will only work on those who have fox blood, that is as far as I can alter it. A deer was never meant to have a demon. It was meant for foxes, designed for predators, and should a demon leave its host, it will come to you and not be able to jump to another. You have what you wanted, now, let’s see if you want what you will get.” The God of the underworld sneered in a half-baked smile and chuckled as he faded away, vanishing in a puff of smoke.

Finnick curled his lip in an uncomfortable cringe. He didn’t like the way that sounded but he would try to figure it out later as his attention shifted to his phone ringing. He stuck it to his ear chuckling as he leaned back in his seat. “Did I catch the eye of a tiger? Or at least her fancy?” His ears flicked back and forth, and he snickered as a purr ran through the line. 

“I think it was my tail you caught.” He threw his head back laughing as Fangmeyer giggled.

“I’ll be there, you Pretty Little Thing. I have somethin else I need to take care of first.” He hung up and pulled away from the intersection after the light turned green, making a b-line to the outskirts of Zootopia. After a two hour drive, he pulled to the side of the road looking at several little shacks that looked like they’d been stuck together from scrap material and slammed his door as his ears tipped up. The snarling and growling accompanied by shrill screams set his face into a harsh glare as he ran past the dusty yard and jumped through a low window. One look around and he caught the sight of a bunny backed into the corner as a furless red horned demon smashed the table and threw several large pieces of furniture trying to get to her. “HEY!”

The demon turned snarling as Finnick tipped his head back and sneered. It smiled evilly as it tossed a couch aside and growled. “Do you believe you are the one who will put us all in our place in this world? Little fox?” It hissed in a taunting voice as Finnick tipped his head to the side watching the bunny trying to make herself smaller.

“I am the one who will do exactly that.” He smirked as he dropped his chin and his eyes glowed red as the demon in front of him jolted forward snarling. One backpaw later the demon was on its back with wide eyes as a three headed canine unlike anything the world of Zootopia had ever seen growled above him. Dark black fur with a tan underbelly, claws longer than anything on any living canine had ever been, tipped ears that looked chiseled and three sets of teeth snapped, causing the demon below him to curl into a ball and cover its head with its arms. The little shack that had been around them fell away from Finnick’s back as he kept his teeth bore, before he looked back and lifted a hind paw to check on the bunny he had stuck his foot over. The doe gaped as the center head looked between his two front legs and smiled at her. “Is this yours?” he asked and she looked back to the demon as her head and face fell. She nodded and Finnick turned back to find the demon peeking up at him. “You have gained this body through a curse Hades set in this word thousands of years ago. Hades has no power in the mortal realm, over any living creature with a solid form. Not even the demons born here. I do.”

The demon looked up and frowned as ‘Finnick’ snapped at the other two heads, watching the two demons he had joined with dip their ears back, shy their eyes, and bowing their heads the other directions. “You think I will bow to you?!”

“We are Cerberus. We protect and serve all in this world, and the underworld.” All three heads snapped back to attention and set their gums vibrating as the demon below them growled. The center head dropped and its eyes flashed brown making the demon below him sneer as it lowered its arms. “I think I can show you a better way or I will have to kill you to save others.”

“NO! Please don’t kill him! I would take his place!” The doe screamed as she ran under the three headed dog and dropped in front of the red demon below Cerberus. Finnick lifted his head in a satisfied smirk, watching the two demon dog heads beside him blinking as the demon on the ground in front of her gawked.

“If a mortal is willing to die for a demon- to save someone they love, and save the demon possessing the one they love, there is a better way. There are currently seventeen of you in this world. When one who is possessed dies, the demon dies with them. There is more to this world than a single task meant to be executed. If you want to find out what those other things are, you will have to give yourself over to the one you have possessed, and vice versa, or I will take you both. I will serve for you and save both lives you have now, and yours, if you serve me.” Finnick smiled as the demon in front of the doe stood and watched her chewing her lip as she cupped her paws together. 

He looked at her shaking his head and back to Cerberus as he fell to both knees and stuck a fisted paw to his chest, bowing his head. “All demons are meant to serve. If Hades has willed this world as yours, I am yours.”

Finnick chuckled and took a seat in front of the doe who was in front of a demon ten times bigger than her. “There is someone I’d like you to meet tomorrow and we’re going to start gathering the others to start something better here.” The demon looked at Finnick and raised a brow. “His name is Jack. He has some interesting ideas that will help you get along in this world. Now, give her back her fox so we can talk.”

The demon closed its eyes and a battered red fox shrank to the ground, hitting his knees as he looked at his claws. The doe in front of him jumped and curled around his neck as he tried to catch his breath and he wrapped his arms around her squeezing his eyes shut. They both spoke to each other in a language as foreign as their tattered clothing appeared. Finnick crossed his arms over his chest and waited for them to stop fawning over each other until their attention was on him. The fox curled around the doe and turned her away from the giant as if trying to hide her until Finnick snickered, letting her reassure him he meant no harm. “What’s your name?”

The fox looked back at the doe with a curled brow and she nodded as he pet her ears. “I am Ivan, this is Sasha.” A thick accent clotted the words he spoke as the doe kept looked him over sniffling. “We came to this country hoping to escape-

They both clung to each other as Cerberus shook his heads growling, but it was only the center head who spoke. “Ya can’t run from that. Not when it’s part of ya now.” 

Both their ears flicked back, and the doe looked away from Ivan shaking her head. “Part of him?” ‘Finnick’ nodded as the red fox closed his eyes and sighed. “There are others like us?” She asked watching Finnick nodding.

“I’ll give you the choice to keep your demon and become one with it. Ya can take a job, learn how to control it, or do something noble for someone else and the demon will leave ya and come to me.” 

“Can you do that?” They asked and looked at Cerberus as all his eyes flashed red. 

‘Finnick’ chuckled and they both cringed as he nodded. “Control a demon? No problem at all.”

“Are there others… like you?” Ivan asked and ‘Finnick’ smirked.

“Like me? No. There aren’t any others like me. This is a binding contract you all must agree to.” He pulled two rings off his collar and held them out, letting them shrink around the tip of one of his claws before holding them out to the couple. Ivan and Sasha each took one and placed them on a finger, their eyes growing as they shrank to fit. Finnick chuckled as they looked back at him. “I have somethin I gotta do in a few hours. I’ll tell ya about everything, but first I gotta let the rest of them know I’m here.”

Ivan and Sasha both stepped away as Cerberus stood and sucked in a deep breath through each mouth. The doe covered her ears as all three heads screamed in a thundering growl. She blinked at the silence and looked at Ivan, her face falling as his eyes glowed red. All over the world, ever person who had been possessed froze as the demon living within a living being stopped and looked up, their eyes glowing red as hell's fire while Cerberus roared….

Nick parked the car and looked at Judy as her ears shot up, her eyes flashed red and stayed glowing as he dipped his head and looked around. “Carrots?”

“You didn’t hear that?” he shrugged and she shook herself, smiling as he raised a brow. “Finnick will be here pretty soon. He had someone he needed to talk to but he’s on his way back. I’ll tell you about it later.” She giggled as she opened the door and Nick held a paw out after stepping in front of the car, waiting until she grabbed one of his fingers to walk to the front doors of the Pig Sty…………………..


	29. Last Call

Last Call

Pitbull; Give me everything

Pitbull ft Christina Aguilera; Feel This Moment*

Jack and Skye had taken seats at the bar talking to each other as Nick and Judy walked in. The buck grabbed her as she tried to stand and shook his head. “Give them a few minutes to catch up. Everyone is going to be here pretty soon and I’m not sure how tense things are going to get.” The vixen nodded watching Wolford stand and grab Nick in a paw shake.

Wolford narrowed his eyes as Nick and Judy laughed. They both gave each other a look and opened their uniform shirts, revealing the black t-shirts under them. Jack leaned over looking at the bright neon green letters and covered his mouth as he turned around laughing. Skye scoffed and Nick bounced his brow as he turned and threw his paws out. The shirt Judy wore proclaimed ‘I’M HOT’, while Nick’s read, ‘I’M KNOT HOT’. Him and Judy removed their shirts hanging them on their chairs and turned again, revealing the back as everyone chuckled. The back of Nick’s shirt read I’m Knot Happy!, and Judy’s read I’m knot Happier! They took seats with Wolford as he laughed. “You guys are early.”

“Eh,” Nick shrugged as he looked at Judy. “I thought we’d have dinner here since Spicy has the place open all the time now and Carrots hasn’t eaten here before.” Wolford looked back behind the bar grinning as a little red panda came from the kitchen. She scrunched her nose as she walked to the table and Nick leaned away laughing as she landed in the wolf’s lap. “That was overdue.” He snickered as Judy turned her eyes from watching them in an intimate kiss.

The wolf was humming as she pulled away from him licking his lips. “I’m going to do her over anyway.” 

Nick laughed as Ginger smirked and looked at their shirts. “Knot hot or knot hotter?” She asked as Judy looked at Nick with a raised brow. 

The fox stuck his arm over her shoulder smiling. “These are like my favorite shirts - ever. Either way I suppose. We’re both happy and I’m the knot hot that gets her hotter. So, I’m a knot hot her too.” Judy narrowed her eyes before she socked him in the arm. “Ow!”

Ginger giggled and Wolford laughed as Nick threw his paws up in surrender. She stood pulling a notepad from her pocket as Wolford kept an arm around her waist. “What can I get for you two?”

Jack was bouncing at the bar trying to keep them from noticing he was laughing and sat up straight as Ginger walked past him, back to the kitchen and stuck their order up on a turn wheel for the chef. She turned and rested her chin in her paw as Skye shook her head grinning. “I don’t think I want you hanging around with Nick all the time.”

The buck gave her a look as Ginger refilled their drinks. “Why ‘knot’?” he asked snickering as Skye shook her head.

“You know why ‘knot’.” She looked at Ginger as she giggled and back to Jack as he folded his arms over his chest beaming. “That’s why. The last thing I need is you getting some crazy idea stuck in your head or to start talking like that all the time. Rabbit stamina with fox attributes is just…..” Jack smirked when Ginger lifted a brow and giggled, turning away as Skye glanced at her. Skye covered her mouth and shook her head as Jack scratched behind her ear. The vixen purred into a feminine rumble before she playfully smacked his paw away. “Stop doing that in front of people! I can barely handle you now.” Jack snickered as Ginger grabbed the plates the chef had stuck up and winked at them as she went back to the table, sending him into a rolling laugh as Skye blushed. “What time are they supposed to be here?” she asked.

Jack looked back to the table watching Nick and Judy with Wolford and Ginger as they sat down to eat. “The ones we haven’t met, after seven, I think. Bellwether said she had something that she needed to talk to Finnick about and the other officers are usually here a few hours after their shifts are over. It shouldn’t be much longer before they start showing up.”

“Why didn’t she talk to Finnick earlier today?”

Jack shook his head as he turned around and looked past the bar. “I didn’t get to talk to her extensively. She said something about him almost missing the meeting because he wasn’t in Zootopia this morning. He had someone he had to recruit earlier. He’s been traveling a lot and has been hard to get ahold of to arrange everything. If we’ve overlooked something, I’m sure it will all sort itself out after they get here. We could have dinner while we wait?”

Skye curled her lip and shook her head as she held a paw to her stomach. “You can if you’re hungry, but my nerves are fried, Jack.”

He sighed as he sat his glass down and turned to her smiling. “Even if we are involved Skye, we aren’t the ones who will be running things, at least not yet. Worrying will just give you warts.”

“And you’ll still love me if I have them.” 

Jack chuckled as he sipped his beer and nodded when Ginger came back behind the bar and dropped off the plates they had used. “HEY JACK!” He turned watching Nick waving them to the table as several officers came in, and he grabbed Skye’s paw pulling her from the stool. They met at the table taking seats with Nick, Wolford, and Judy as Nick introduced them to a few other officers. “Jack and Skye, this is Grizzoli, Gerald, and Delgato.”

They shook paws and Nick tipped a brow as Delgato started walking away. “Hey Duster? Where are you going?”

“Ah, not really in the mood for company, Wilde. I just need to get something to eat before I go home.” 

Nick’s ears flipped back as the lion dipped away from the table and took a seat at a booth beside the wall. “That’s a bummer.” 

Wolford sighed as he looked around and shook his head. “Bogo put Swinton with Delgato together after Longfang got transferred. He moved to the rainforest district so he could be closer to his brother.”

“He finally got a partner?” Nick asked and Wolford nodded looking back at the lion.

“Why didn’t he have one before?” Gerald asked as Grizzoli looked at him shaking his head.

The bear chuckled as Jack and Skye bit their lips. “Male lions are really territorial until they hit a certain age. Bogo watches them for certain things before he gives them a partner to make sure it won’t be a problem. It’s difficult to pair them with another male until they pass that age and he won’t put them with a female for similar reasons.” Grizzoli shrugged as Gerald watched Nick fiddling with a coaster he’d been playing with since they sat down.

“Fangmeyer called in this morning and took the day off so Snarlov was with Delgato today.”

“Oof.” Nick cringed as he looked back at the lion and watched him leaning into one of his paws.  
“That’s why he wants to be alone.”

Gerald looked around the table as they all picked up their drinks. “What?”

“He’s single.” Wolford shook his head as Nick covered his eyes and changed the subject. “Anyway, you know we’re supposed to be getting a bunch of new rookies in next week, Gerald?” The cheetah nodded as Nick looked back at him and smirked. “Have you been educating him, Grizzoli?” The bear laughed as he nodded. “Then, we have to do the test.”

Gerald folded his ears back and they lifted slowly as Nick turned the coaster he was holding again. He pointed to Judy and Nick narrowed his eyes as he shook his head. “You aren’t doing the thing with her? Isn’t she a rookie too?”

Nick scratched his nose as Judy looked around. “See the shirts?” Gerald nodded as Judy raised both brows. “I already tapped her. I tapped her really good. Several times.” Wolford covered his mouth and turned his head as Nick and Jack snickered, while Judy and Skye looked at him blinking. Gerald gaped as Grizzoli closed his eyes and waited for things to start flying. When nothing happened, the bear opened his eyes and found them all looking at the rabbit and red fox, who were both locked in evil smiles they had pointed at each other.

“You think you did me good?” Judy asked as they all looked at her blinking. Nick smiled wider as he bounced his brows and she giggled as she lifted her head. “I think you left me… wanting.”

Jack was hissing as Skye curled her lips under her teeth and everyone else at the table let their jaws fall. Wolford barked in laughter as Nick curled his lip in a sneaky smile. “Yeah I know I did.” When Nick leaned back in his chair and they both kept smiling at each other Wolford was fighting for air while everyone bit their tongues. “She can’t get enough of me, but at some point she’s going to have to understand I do have limits and I’m not a beast of burden.”

Wolford looked back at them shaking his head still laughing as Jack covered his mouth. “You aren’t my beast of burden?” Judy asked with a frown. Jack almost choked as Skye covered her eyes. “That’s too bad. I thought you were delivering my load.” 

Nick cocked his head back and forth and side glanced Judy as he folded his arms over his chest. “I am not a beast of burden, but I guess I should get a part time job with ups and deliver more packages.”

“Ups? You mean U.P.S?” Gerald asked with a curled lip as Nick rolled his eyes. Judy giggled as she watched Jack hissing. 

The fox shook his head and looked at Grizzoli in a mock frown. “No, I mean up’s. Everybody fucks up. If anyone tried to fuck down something would get broken. I can’t deliver her package if it’s not up or if it’s broken.”

“That’s not true Nick, it would work if I was the one going down. One way or another.” Judy giggled and he pulled her closer growling.

“Well I have your package, Carrots. I’ll deliver it however and whenever you want it.”

Wolford fell on the table laughing. “Oh, Gods there are two of them now!” 

Ginger rolled her eyes as Nick shifted his attention to Jack. “So I heard you might be leading this little thing Bellwether has going?”

Jack shook his head as he stopped chuckling and thanked Ginger as she shoved a beer in front of him. “Not really. At this point I am more like a liaison because I’m familiar with everything.”

Wolford leaned back and folded his arms over his chest shaking his head. “If I were you, I wouldn’t get any more familiar with Nick, Jack. He’ll never leave you alone if you do.”

Nick leaned forward as Wolford narrowed his eyes and yelped as he shot up in the chair. The wolf was clutching his tail and curling his lip as Nick chuckled and everyone around the table laughed as Wolford smacked him in the face with it. “See what I mean?!” he asked looking back at Jack. 

The buck tipped a brow watching Nick grinning at him as Judy bit her lip. “Want to get familiar with me, Jack?” Nick bounced his brow as the bar fell silent and everyone laughed as Jack leaned into Skye shaking his head with a curled lip. 

Wolford sat back down glaring at Nick and shook his head. “He’s fucking impossible.”

Nick smirked as he looked around and landed his eyes n Judy as she raised her brows. “It took me a while, but it wasn’t impossible f-

Judy grabbed his tie and his eyes flew open as she yanked him to her level. “You ae highly articulate, but if you finish that sentence, I will make you eat your own tail.” Nick nodded as he bit his tongue cupped a paw over his muzzle. Judy pulled it away grinning as he looked back at Wolford’s head thumping the table, laughing hysterically. The red fox looked around and curled his lip as the whole bar started laughing and Judy folded her arms over his chest as he looked at her and smirked.

Gerald sat there shaking his head as Grizzoli chuckled. Nick sighed, trying not to grin as Judy grabbed his tail under the table and leaned forward as the young cheetah rubbed his head. “So, Gerald. You’ve been a cop for six months. If Grizzoli has taught you everything you should know then you’ll leave the rookie status and join the official ranks when the next group comes in. Think you can handle it?”

“I’ve been handling it for a few years already.” Grizzoli looked at the cheetah and blinked.

Nick chuckled and nodded. “You’re off to a good start. 

“Well it’s hard to get off without a good start.” Wolford fell over on Grizzoli’s shoulder laughing as Gerald bounced his brows.

Nick nodded as he rubbed his chin. “Or if things aren’t hard enough…I’ve spent almost every weekend with Carrots for six months, showed her all the classic movies and have been talking to both of you pretty openly. So, let’s see how ready you two are to join the brigade.”

Judy and Gerald both sat up and folded their arms over their chests as Jack set his ears. Skye looked between all of them waiting, but everyone looked at the door and Froze as Fangmeyer came in. “Well gods damn, gods damn.” Nick said as she walked to the table and pulled out a seat next to Wolford, hissing as she gingerly sat in the chair. The tigress groaned as she finally relaxed and looked around finding them all watching her with tipped brows. 

“Oh, did he ever damn it.” She hissed. Nick was almost in tears laughing as everyone’s jaw fell.

“He?” Wolford shook his head and leaned over smirking as he rolled his tongue along the inside of his upper lip. “I wish I had made a bet about you ever being the one doing the walk of shame. I’d have made a killing with that one.”

Fangmeyer looked around as they all stared at her. Her fur was mussed, she was wearing a baggy t shirt and sweats. A few of her whiskers were crimped and she looked like she had just crawled out of bed. She leaned back in the chair letting out a heavy sigh and her eyes rolled back as her arms dangled at her sides. “I wouldn’t even care.” The group all glanced around at each other when her head tilted back as she started purring. They laughed as she cracked one eye open still smiling. “What’s the news?”

Nick motioned to Gerald and Fangmeyer yawned as she sat up again. “We were going to find out if Nappy was ready to join the ranks of the brigade.”

“What about your bunny?” Fangmeyer asked and Nick looked at Judy grinning as she shrugged.

Wolford shook his head as Ginger plopped in his lap and leaned against his chest giggling. “I don’t think she’s going to have any trouble keeping up with us, but she can be our target.”

“I can keep it up. Fire away.” Judy chirped and Grizzoli snickered.

Nick nodded and sucked in a breath. “She can keep up. I’m locked and loaded.”

“I’ll get that from you that later, Beastly.” Judy shot as Nick narrowed his eyes.

“You, are calling me Beastly, Carrots?” 

The doe nodded as she looked up scrunching her nose. “I suppose I could call you Slick? But it’s easier to explain Beastly. You ravaged me, so I already know you’re an animal.”

Nick looked back at Fangmeyer smirking and she shook her head while everyone at the table was snickering. “Oh. My. Gods.”

“Yes, I am God.” Nick touted and Judy scoffed as she shook her head. 

“Don’t be letting anything I just said go to your head. You are not a God, Nick.”

“Everything you say goes to my head, Carrots. That’s how I know I’m God. You said it yourself.”

“I did not say you were a God, Nick.”

“Really?” Nick asked with a cocky smirk as he tipped a brow and threw his paws up shaking them back and forth. “Last night that’s all you could say. Oh God! Oh God! Oh God!”

Judy narrowed her eyes as Nick chuckled. “If that went straight to your head, what does it mean that your head came right to me.”

“Sly Bunny.”

“Dumb fox.”

Wolford folded over Ginger as Fangmeyer covered her mouth laughing. Jack tipped both brows at Skye with a look that instantly recalled a similar moment in their lives and turned his eyes as she glared at him. Grizzoli sat chuckling and Gerald shook his head. “So, how do you test someone?” Nick looked at Gerald grinning and opened his mouth, but they all turned to Fangmeyer as she gasped. The tiger looked down and they all leaned over slightly as a pair of blonde ear tips poked up from the table in front of her.

Wolford’s jaw fell as everyone else gawked and Nick’s eyes widened as he leaned over and spotted a small fox. Finnick sneered as he looked back up at Fangmeyer. “If I say your fur smells nice from here, would that make me a dirty old fox, or would you let me be - a dirty old fox…again?” he asked grinning from between her legs as he grabbed her hips and rested his head on her belly. Everyone let their jaws fall as she slid under the table with her eyes rolling back, and burst out laughing when she squeaked like a kitten. The tigress was back in her chair a moment later and Finnick jumped on the table looking around. Nick covered his muzzle like he was in shock as the tigress wrapped her paws around the little fox and was purring as she kept running her cheeks all over him. “You got a problem with this, Nick?” 

“Nope.” Nick shook his head and Finnick narrowed his eyes as the red fox pointed at him. “What the hell is around your neck?”

“Oh this? Nothin. Just part of the contract. Helps me keep things under control here.” He looked to Gerald, watching the young cheetah shaking his head. “What was it ya was about to do?”

“We were going to find out if Nappy can be promoted from a rookie to the brigade.” Nick answered and pointed to Gerald as Fangmeyer leaned over in her chair, letting Finnick scratch her head. 

Ginger watched a couple dozen mammals walk through the door and left Wolford with a curled brow as she went to greet them. Finnick stood up looking past a few tables and was smiling as she looked back to the table, pointing to an area that was reserved for private parties. The red panda led them past the table and Judy was waving as Finnick tipped his head at the group. 

Nick’s ear set trying to get a better look. “Do you know them, Carrots? That’s a lot of foxes and rabbits to be in one place together. We don’t usually gather in groups like that.”

“Not really.” She answered as Jack sat up and watched Ginger taking their orders. “They’re not all foxes and rabbits, but they’re here for Jack.” 

Finnick turned crossing his arms over his chest and Skye flinched as his eyes glowed red. “There’s some new rules I need to explain to ya, a few other things too, Jack.” He turned as the door opened again and was grinning as Bellwether came to the table. “Dawn.” 

He tipped his head as Bellwether reached into her pocket. “A little birdie told me this belonged to you.” Finnick held his paw open and she gave him a small knife, watching as he tipped a brow. “It’s the real thing. I tried to give it back to the museum because I thought it would be safer there, but they said it was too small to be the one they were missing.”

“A little birdie?” Wolford asked looking between them.

Dawn shrugged. “He wasn’t really little. A big white owl. Scared the hell out of me. He was carrying a message like pigeons used to. As soon as I read it, he left out the window he came through.” She turned to Jack and folded her paws in front of herself looking back at the other table. “I can’t stay, but we have a place where we can all talk without worrying if anything is overheard. Chief Bogo and a few officers will be here to help things get settled. Formalities will begin tomorrow. We can work out all the details then. I need to get back to the Mayor’s office and make sure everything is in order, Mr. Savalde.”

Jack glanced at Finnick and the small fox nodded. “It aint all of them, but it’s pretty close.” Jack looked back to the group and shook paws with Finnick before him and Skye excused themselves and took seats at the table talking to the group. 

Judy looked at Finnick and they both shook their heads grinning. Bellwether left Finnick examining the small knife pendant he was holding as she left. “I’ll have to figure out where to keep it at, it’s kind of small though.”

“How did you know we would need that and get it from the museum anyway?” Nick asked and folded his ears back when Finnick curled his lip.

“All the demons know about the knife. But ya can’t kill a demon if it was yours, or the other way round. They know all the moves you could make after they’ve been in your head. She couldn’t hurt me either.”

“Why didn’t you tell anybody about her?” Wolford asked and leaned back as Finnick glared at him.

“Would ya have believed me? I wasn’t sure it was her anyway. She had me thinkin for a long time it was somebody else.” Finnick threw a thumb back to the bar and red fur.

Wolford cringed as he watched Ginger talking to the new girl she had hired. “Well, Ginger has changed her policies on hiring anyone and does extensive background checks, she even put security cameras in here.”

“And ya think that woulda done any good with April?” Finnick asked sneering as he looked at Judy and sighed. “That deer had some seriously messed up ideas, but I can’t say after figurin everythin out I didn’t get it. She was messed up for a lot of reasons and was so obsessed with Ginger that she was following around all the people she knew. Even me. She always told everyone she was a red deer cause her adoptive parents were.”

Judy looked at Nick as he gulped part of his drink and shook his head. “I’m sure it didn’t help when Spicy started saying she’d only wear red.”

“What species was she?” Gerald asked.

Nick played with the coaster again. “A water Deer. They have fangs like saber toothed tigers and horns, but they are about half the size of a red deer. There aren’t too many prey mammals that have teeth and horns like that. I know a guy at the cell phone store who is the same species. She got that big because of an overactive gland or something, so she didn’t fit in with her own kind either. But if her adoptive parents pulled her teeth out trying to make her seem more like them or had her telling people that, it’s pretty sad. We all went to school together. She was following Spicy around because she was in love with her. Spicy took over the bar for her father and started working here after I became a cop and then she hired April. I guess April thought staying close to her was close enough. Weird how her mind twisted things. She wouldn’t hurt Wolford or me because she knew it would hurt Spicy (Ginger) but didn’t have any problems hurting anyone she thought hurt one of us.”

Wolford looked back at Ginger and sighed. “Yeah the officers she killed were all people she thought had offended us or something. Except Snarlov. We’ll probably never figure that out. I still can’t figure out why she was going after the other ones.”

Fangmeyer growled. “No way she loved her. It doesn’t have to make any sense. She was crazy. Crazy is crazy.”

Judy dropped her eyes and Nick picked up her chin and raised his brows. She leaned into him as he curled his arms around her. “I think she did love her, in her own way and it’s why she was trying to find a way to reach her without hurting her.” Nick curled his arm around Judy as her head dropped and she looked up at him sighing. “Everybody wants to be accepted. Even if it’s by strangers. When she knew that Wolford and Ginger were going somewhere, she went after Snarlov because she knew it would hurt both of you. Wolford losing his first partner kept them apart, and Snarlov was the closest to him and Nick.”

Nick nodded as he looked around. “I think Fangs is right. Crazy is just crazy. It seems like everything that happened just brought us all closer.”

Wolford smiled watching Ginger showing the new girl where everything was behind the bar. “I’m glad she didn’t get any closer. Because it was too close.”

Finnick looked at the little knife and stuck a claw though one end, digging out the dirt that revealed a hole in the top of the hilt. “I’m gonna lose this thing if I can’t figure out somewhere safe to put it and I’m supposed to be the one guarding the gate. If no one can get to the key, no one can open it.”

Nick stood up and dug through his pockets, before he held a paw out to Finnick. “Will this work? You can keep it on your collar.”

Finnick looked at the little gold ring Nick was holding in his paw and nodded as he hooked it into the end of the dagger. He sat down trying to look under his chin to connect them and Nick chuckled as he took it and looped them together. “Where’d you get that thing anyway, Nick? Who carries around jewelry in their pockets?” 

Nick shrugged looking at Judy and she smiled turning her head, showing off the earring he had given her. “Earrings come in sets. Carrots got the diamonds from both of them, so I had an extra. I guess it ended up in my pocket out of habit.”

“You two’s engaged? Why aint ya wearin it?” Finnick asked as Nick hooked the gold loop onto his collar.

“The bucks usually don’t wear them, it’s for the girls, just like the engagement rings most other mammals wear. I don’t need to anyway, everybody knows.” Nick stuck it through the end of the little dagger and handed it to Finnick.

Finnick chuckled as he looked at the little loop. “True dat.” He stuck it on a ring attached to his collar and his brow curled as the gold lit up and sealed like it were a solid piece that connected all the sections. He shook it off and thanked Nick as he sat next to Judy again.

“We should stop digging up bones, unless the bones are doing the digging. I’m starving, Carrots and its cramping my style. I need Seymore to feed me again.” Nick bounced his brows and chuckled as he looked at Gerald. “Well, Nappy?”

Everyone looked at the cheetah as he scratched under his chin. “You have a thing for old cheesy movies and musicals. Seymore is a reference to the little shop of horrors, but also means that you need to see more of her and she needs to feed the beast. Bones digging…. That one is self-explanatory but also might have something to do with spooning.”

“Spooning?” Nick asked as Gerald smirked.

“You have a bone with a scoop and she’s the ice cream.” Nick looked at Judy and she turned away laughing.

“Grizzoli explained rabbit lingo to you?” Nick asked looking at the bear, and the cheetah nodded as Grizzoli laughed.

Fangmeyer giggled. “We didn’t get it at first, so he just started talking like that all the time for a while. Between listening to him and you talking over the last six months, I think we all have a good grasp on it now.”

They were all grinning and nodding their approval as Nick chuckled. “Impressive. So Nappy, if you know what a spooner is you might be worthy of being a protégé.”

Wolford leaned forward blinking as Gerald looked off curling his lip. Finnick, Fangmeyer, Grizzoli and Judy all watched as the cheetah started smiling. “Pro-to-ge-. Pro to gays, free choice. Your new definition of that is that anyone can be anything and to each their own.” 

Judy looked at Nick and he shrugged as she wrapped around one of his arms. He turned back to Gerald nodding. “Did you figure out your Nick name?”

Gerald chuckled. “Nappy is what they call diapers in another country, the same country also calls gay males spooners, because that’s what a digger with a shovel is called. But it’s not the same thing as spooning because that’s just two people cuddling. It’s considered politically incorrect and as offensive as someone pulling a Full Monty.” 

Grizzoli was watching Gerald with an open mouth and Nick smiled slowly as the cheetah lifted his ears and looked back at him. “You didn’t explain that to him, did you, Smokey?” 

Grizzoli shook his head as Gerald sat up straighter and flicked his ears back and forth. “Everyone here jokes around about it, but no one has an issue with who anyone else is with or what sex they choose. Not my cup of tea but it shouldn’t bother anyone else or make them uncomfortable.”

Fangmeyer sat up giggling and pointed to Finnick. “You have the tea bags so it could be your cup. You never know if you don’t try.” 

Finnick looked at her and folded his arms over his chest. “Gurl, I know you didn’t just offer me up on a platter.” Nick laughed as Finnick glared at him. “Keep laughin, Nick, and I’ll change your name to Ben Dover and take you to the dark side.”

“If Fort couldn’t talk me into it, there’s no way you could. He’s been asking for years.”

Wolford growled with a tight face, trying not to smile as he looked around the table. He leaned over watching Judy tip a brow. “I don’t know, with everything I’ve seen and heard, he might be able to change your mind.” He looked at Fangmeyer and she bit her lip as she scrunched her nose. 

Finnick nodded as he rubbed his chin. “Come to the dark side, Nick.”

Nick deadpanned Finnick and shook his head. “I will never come to the dark side, and if you pull out a light sword, I’ll kick you off this table.”

Judy giggled and Nick looked at her curling his lip against a grin. “She’s got a point, Nick. You never know if you don’t try. You can butter both sides of your bread.” 

Nick frowned as he looked around watching them all snickering. “First off, I don’t like burnt bread, or rye. Only one side of bread should be buttered, and I will only butter my stash while it’s in the oven. I’ll do the spreading, but no one is going to be spreading me. Since she’s my stash, and the oven, you’re shit out of luck, Finnick.”

Everyone at the table was in tears laughing as Fangmeyer pointed to Finnick. “If anybody could turn you, it would be him.”

Nick sighed and rolled his eyes. “I love Carrots. So why do you think he could change my mind?”

Finnick’s eyes lit red as Fangmeyer smirked. “Because he’s a fucking God.” 

Finnick bounced his brows and they cackled as Nick’s jaw fell. “At’s alright. He’s just a Carrot Ho now. Too bad though, I’m sure I could have made ya love comin to the dark side, Nick.” 

One side of Nick’s cheek lifted in a sneer as he shook his head. “You all know what happened when the Emperor turned Anakin to the dark side?”

“He became Vadar, and could never take off that gas mask again.” They all shot their heads to Gerald as he covered his mouth and Grizzoli ruffled the fur on his head before everyone else did the same, playfully shoving him around like they had the first night he’d come to the bar. 

Nick chuckled and Ginger dropped off new glasses, leaving the table after pecking Wolford again. “Yeah, you are definitely not a Rookie anymore.”

Judy stood up looking around, stepping closer to Grizzoli as they all picked up their drinks. “Who is the Emperor and Anakin? I haven’t met them yet.”

Every eye at the table bulged and spewed their drinks as Judy dodged behind the bear. Grizzoli opened his eyes and watched Ginger fall to her knees laughing as the new barmaid looked up from behind the counter and grabbed towels. Wolford blinked a few times as Nick pounded on his chest and stood up hacking. “Carrots!” She peeked out from behind Grizzoli as the bear wiped off his face with a paw. “Oh. No. You. Didn’t! Do not tell me you do not know who Anakin Skyewalker is?” She shrugged as their mouths fell open. “Darth Vadar? Gas mask helmet?” Another shake of her head and Nick smacked a paw over his face and fell back into his chair. “I have failed you!”

Wolford was snickering as he watched Ginger rolling on the floor because Grizzoli was drenched. Jack and Skye had both turned in their seats shaking their heads, and Delgato had looked back at Judy with one eye twitching. 

The new bar maid rushed out from behind the counter as Delgato turned in his seat to get up and help Ginger, but she tripped on his foot. The lion caught her just a few inches from the floor and they both froze as they locked eyes. His ears tinted and she blushed as he tried to help her stand again. “I’m ugh….”

“Thank you. My name is Veronica. I think I twisted my ankle.” She hissed as she tried to stand and looked at her ankle cringing. 

“I’m…” Delgato started, and she leaned over with her ears perked as he shook himself. “I’m Randall.” Ginger came over and took the towels, telling her to sit down as Wolford nudged Nick.

The wolf tipped his head that direction and Nick started smiling as Delgato kept flicking his eyes from her. “Is that who I think it is? I’m not going to be able to call him my Dusty Ho anymore if he finally gets polished by somebody else.”

Wolford looked back and sucked in a breath as he leaned closer to Nick’s chair. “Veronica? Wasn’t she a waitress at the Gold Lined Pu- He stopped dead as Ginger stepped in front of him tapping her foot, and dipped his ears back cringing when she narrowed her eyes.

Nick laughed as Ginger tossed Grizzoli the towels. “And how would you know about that club anyway, Jake?”

“What club?” Judy asked and looked at Ginger after the fox’s ears pinned to his head. Nick and Wolford both pulled at their collars.

Finnick looked between them before he fell on the table laughing as he clutched his guts. “Ya both been whooped by it so ya might as well tell them! I’d think ya’d at least have enough sense to ask why she knows about it.”

Wolford’s ears perked as he looked back at Ginger and her ears flipped back. She bit the side of her lip and scrunched her shoulders as he narrowed his eyes. “How do you know about that club anyway, Ginger?”

“I….it was a reference for her to work here.”

Wolford narrowed his eyes in a sneaky smile as her ears lit up. “Uh Uh, that’s not how you know about that club.”

“I told you she was Spicy!” Nick chuckled.

“What club?” Judy asked again, and Nick glared at Finnick as he laughed. Grizzoli and Gerald both looked to invisible corners shaking their heads as Jack and Skye returned to talking to the mammals at the table they were sitting with. Delgato was currently curling a paw around his jaw, listening to the lioness sitting across from him talking as she rubbed her foot.

“It’s run by a pride of lioness’ and they call it the Gold Lined kitty Palace. But not in them exact words.” Finnick was cackling as Nick rolled his eyes.

“You know she’s been hanging around me and them off and on for six months. I don’t think that word is going to offend her, Finnick.”

Finnick deadpanned him as everyone’s ears set. “Nick, ya can’t even say the word anymore and I think ya might need a job there if ya turned into one cause of her.”

“What do they do at that place, Nick?” Judy asked and Nick’s ear lit up after Wolford pinched his eyes closed hissing as Gerald frowned.

Gerald shook his head in disappointment as Nick looked around the table. “You’re not measuring up, Nick. I thought this was supposed to be your crew.”

“I’m going to measure something up for you alright, Nappy. Fangs and Finnick keep laughing like that and I’ll be the one sinking my teeth into somebody’s ass. I’ll trip and fall right on top of your girl.” Nick growled, grinning. 

Fangmeyer shook her head and scrunched her whiskers pointing to Finnick. “You are never going to measure up to him.”

Nick looked back at Finnick flat faced as he crossed his arms over his chest. “You’ve been in here a few times in the last six months, Finnick, and have never said a word to anyone. You were scoping this out- You did this on purpose and I’m not going to forget this moment.”

Finnick fell over barking. “The darkside is a powerful force! I’ll make sure you feel every moment!”

Wolford to Delgato’s table as Nick leered at Finnick. “She’s a nice girl, Nick. I think you better not let Judy find out from someone else what everyone thinks goes on there because Delgato has only heard what we’ve teased him about. If she tells Judy where she worked in front of him, he may not talk to her.”

Grizzoli chuckled. “Are you losing your touch, Nick?”

“Oh, he’s been touched alright. The Force is strong with this one.” Wolford shot and turned hissing as Nick looked at him and fought not to laugh.

“Maybe you really do need a job there. How are you going to tell her if you can’t even say the name of the place?” Gerald asked cockily as he bounced his brows.

“Meow, Nick.” Fangmeyer purred. 

Finnick was starting to change colors as he hissed. “Make it stop or I’m gonna die laughin!” 

Nick looked around with a sneaky smile. “I am not a pussy. If Finnick really wants to go to the dark side, he’s in good company and can pick from the lot of you because you’re all a bunch of assholes.” Several covered their mouths, fell over on each other or the table laughing as Nick folded his arms over his chest and smirked……


	30. Change Is Good

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> New Horizons

Hellspawn Thirty

Snarlov: Ben Platt; Grow as We Go

Roxanne: Jennifer Lopez; Feel the Light

Nick: J Rice; Thank You for the Broken Heart*  
Wolford nudged Nick as Judy turned looking at the lioness and started walking that way. “Carrots, I need to explain- Nick stood up and stepped around the table as Finnick tried to catch his breath and fell over again. “Finnick, knock it off already!” Judy turned curling her brow and stepped closer to Nick, shaking her head after glass shattered. They all watched wide eyed as Finnick knocked several more glasses off the table. 

“Hey!” Ginger growled as Finnick turned and kicked another glass. 

“I aint doin it! I can’t stop!” 

“Finnick! Sit down and stop that!” Nick watched Finnick’s face twist in confusion as Wolford stood up and stepped back. 

Finnick blinked, plopping to his butt and looked up at Nick in shock as he caught sight of Hades ring glowing above his head. The red fox tipped his head to one side and raised his brow as Judy and Finnick looked at the gold ring that attached his collar and the devils key together, lighting up at the same time. “Oh no he didn’t.” Finnick gulped as he tried to look down.

“Oh, yes.” Judy giggled as she cupped her paws over her mouth and looked above Nick’s head. 

Nick looked up waving a paw around. “What are you both looking at?!”

All their ears shot up as an ominous laughter rounded through the bar and faded into an echo that dissipated. They returned their attention to the small fox who was looking around at them with glowing red eyes. Grizzoli, Gerald, Ginger, Wolford, and Nick looked back at Finnick when he snarled and threw his arms over his chest. “Hades is a dick!” Fangmeyer scratched behind one of his ears and he fell back against her paw sighing. 

“I think he just evened the score, Finnick. Jack? I think you better come and find out the new detail on what you’ve already been told.” Judy chirped as Finnick ground his jaw together.

Jack left Skye with the mammals at the table and stuck his paws in his pockets as he stood in front of Finnick and looked between them. “O.K?” 

Judy looked at Finnick and waited. The small fox closed his eyes and shook his head, melting into Fangmeyer’s paw as she curled it around him. “How much ya know about Hades, Jack?” 

Jack shirked and shook his head. “I’m not the religious type. Can’t say I know too much.” Judy bit her lip looking at Nick as he waited for an explanation. “Full disclosure is going to be needed if it pertains to getting this program started for the others who are…” Jack looked at Judy as her eyes lit red and back to Finnick seeing his eyes still glowing too. “If we provide training, identity protection or additional support for them, we will need to know all the details. Even the new ones.”

Finnick huffed as he looked at Nick scowling. “He’s in charge. Not me.”

“ME?!” Nick asked with a curled lip.

“Wilde is?” Jack asked and Finnick nodded as Nick looked around with everyone watching him him. “Why?”

Finnick motioned to Nick and Jack turned as he pointed above his head. “Nick has a ring of gold from Hades above his head.” Jack tipped a brow with an incredulous look as Judy agreed. “Ya can’t see it. Hades is good at hidin his treasures and himself. They call him the Wealth bringer and he can become invisible. Why do ya think it’s so hard to find gold? If it’s in the ground it’s his. He aint got a lot of power in this realm, unless it’s somethin of his somebody else can have power from.” Nick looked between him and Judy as Finnick grabbed the collar and held it up. “Where’d ya get the earrings at anyway, Nick?”

Nick scratched his neck and sighed. “It was the same guy who sold my father the ring he bought for my mother. I didn’t think he was still there, that was years ago.”

“And what put that idea in your head?” Finnick asked sneering.

Nick looked at Judy grinning. “I found his card in one of the boxes of pictures Carrots found after Mrs. Beesly gave them back to me. The guy was digging around trying to find something for me to look at and didn’t even know he had those.”

“I bet he didn’t.” Finnick growled as Judy giggled. “I’m sure they just magically appeared and are made of the same gold he already gave ya, the same shit around my collar and the rings on it. See the connection here? The ring in Judy’s ear?”

Jack frowned as he looked between them. “Sweet story and all but, does somebody want to make a point with this? Transportation is coming to get them and should be here in the next few minutes, but I still have to figure out what precautions need to be taken for public safety after they are all together.”

“None.” Finnick growled as Nick raised a brow. “Not as long as they are in the same city with me and him.”

“And?” Jack asked.

“I can control them if they get out of paw or shift. I can control the ones who aren’t here or if he’s not around, and take their demons if they jump from their host. But he…grrrrr…has power over me.” Jack cupped a paw over his chin and Nick’s jaw hung open as everyone looked between them. Finnick curled his lip as he looked at Nick. “Hey Genius... you two tie the knot?” Judy dipped her head smirking as Nick looked at her and smiled. “Was it before or after she had that ring in her ear?” Nick and Judy both blinked as they looked back at Finnick. “There ya go. The Proof is in the pudding. Hades gave them to you, and gave me the collar. Would ya let me get the fuck up now? Since he gave you the ring above your head everybody else is below you.” Finnick jerked around as if his butt was glued to the table and Jack watched Wolford try to pull him up before he fell back and nearly tripped on a chair. “See?” Nick smirked and Finnick curled his lips over his gums growling. “Nick!”

Nick looked at Judy snickering. “Well you should’nt have tried to con a God.” Everyone looked at Finnick’s as he sighed and foled his arms over his chest. “I can make you do anything?” Finnick threw a paw out and Nick chuckled. “Tell me about my name.”

“Gods damn it, Nick!” Finnick growled as he tried to pull himself off the table. 

Everyone was looking between them, and Nick folded his arms over his chest yawning like he had nowhere to be and time to kill. “What about your name?” Gerald asked looking around. 

Nick snickered. “Him and Mom were best friends in high school. He rarely calls me by my last name because of something about him and my mother. She told me he picked my name. He won’t explain it and my mother told me if I couldn’t get it out of him, I’d never know why my name is Nicholas or why he doesn’t like anyone calling me Wilde.”

Wolford pointed at Finnick as the small fox kept glaring at Nick. “You’re the reason he’s obsessed with Nick names and doesn’t want people calling him Wilde?” 

Finnick sighed and rolled his eyes. “I don’t call him Wilde very often because that’s what his mother was called in high school. Everybody knew she was with his dad, so she got the name because of something we did and bein with him. They called me somethin else.”

“That doesn’t explain my name, Finnick. Or why you said if I used nicknames all the time, I might figure it out.”

Jack grunted and Nick watched him as he chuckled. “They have called you many things Mr. Finnick. Zerda seems to be the one you have been using since you got out of school.”

“Your name isn’t Zerda?” Nick blinked as Finnick curled his lip up. 

Finnick groaned and looked at the ceiling. “No, it aint. It’s just a general name used by a lot of fennec foxes cause that’s our species name. We both got into trouble because we put this stuff in the cafeteria food and it turned everybody’s teeth pink about an hour after they ate. We did that kinda stuff a lot. She said if we didn’t get caught that day, I could name her first kit. We didn’t get caught that day, we got caught the next day.”

“Doesn’t explain it. You can tell me about your name too.” Nick flicked his ears smirking. 

Finnick looked around at all the ears listening and back to Nick sighing. “My family name is Vulocos. Cause my name was Vulocos, they called me a crazy fox. The prank we pulled? It was a big deal. It was the day they took all the yearbook pictures, and everybody had pink teeth. No one would smile for the pictures. We got caught the next day and they rescheduled to photos. The next time they did pictures the principal kept us with him until they were done. Because of that prank, we didn’t get to go to the sophomore dance. We also got the nicknames; Wilde and Crazy. Your mom always told me if she ever had a little girl, she would name her Alice. Since I got to name you, I went with Nicholas because of the nicknames we got that day and the name Alice.”

Nick chuckled. “Mom was Wilde and you were Crazy?” Finnick was almost glowing as everyone stared at him. “You know what this means, Finnick?” 

“Nick, ya little pissant.” Finnick growled. “I swear I will tell everybody about exactly how much of a-

“Sticks and stones, Finnick.” Nick barked smiling.

“I’m gonna break your bones if ya don’t let me go.”

“I’m also Wilde, and you really are crazy if you think I’m letting you get up without a few more answers.”

Fangmeyer leaned away shaking her head. “Nick, you know people aren’t always what they appear to be?” 

“He will be exactly what he appears to be until he answers my questions, unless he tells me the only other thing that will make me happy.” Nick held up a paw and shook his head as several of them looked like they were about to break into their own press conference.

Finnick sighed and shook his head as he looked out the window. “Ya got business to take care of outside and I aint sayin it.” 

“I could make you hop on one foot trying to balance a book on your head while drinking some milk.”

“You remember that?” Finnick asked with a cringe.

“I do. That and someone telling me that my teeth would grow back faster if I did it everyday day for an hour and no one saw me. Until Mom caught me and laughed for a week after explaining that wasn’t how it worked. Or I could tell them where you took me for my twelfth birthday. I wonder if there’s a statute of limitations on that kind of thing.” Finnick cringed and growled as Nick narrowed his eyes. “I guess you like the table more than the fur that’s been stuck on you since you came in here? You know none of us have ever seen Fangs with a guy before? She’s the one who is always sinking her teeth into someone else. No one has ever been able to sink their teeth into her.” Nick looked up as he heard tapping on the window and waved as Snarlov motioned with a finger to come outside. He held a finger up and Snarlov nodded and turned looking the other way as Nick leaned over the table. “At least agree to it.”

Judy looked up at Nick and grabbed his shoulder. “How does he know what you want him to say?”

“Where do you think I learned how to talk like that? He used to do this stuff to me all the time. Right now, he’s just pissed because he knows I own his ass.”

Fangmeyer sighed as Finnick growled. The small fox tilted back as she stuck her muzzle in front of him and licked one half of his face. “Just tell him what he wants to hear. I’ll marry you if you do.”

“Then I’m stayin right here stuck to this table forever, cause you already know how I work, gurl.” Finnick looked around as everything went quiet and found them all looking at her like they’d seen a scorpion succeed at killing itself with its own tail. 

“I can take the table home, so you’ll stick around. I still have a bone to pick with you.” 

Finnick’s smirked as she shot him a cocky smile. “Ya already picked my bone and I already stick around! My stick is all around! Don’t be getting no fur brained ideas, Gurl.”

“Keep doing things how you do. Do you think I care? Read my mind Mr. Magician.”

“I aint gotta read your mind. I already know what you’re thinkin.”

Wolford looked at Nick shaking his head. “Now I know why they say two’s company and three’s a crowd.” 

Fangmeyer stood up and looked around before she took a pose that flexed her muscles like a body builder and bounced her brows grinning at the small fox. “You know I’ll make it worth your while!”

Finnick looked back to Nick before rolling his eyes and mumbling. “I agree.” Nick scrunched his nose and shook his head trying to keep a straight face while letting him know it wasn’t good enough. “You own my ass.” Finnick barked and curled his lip as he looked off trying not to smile.

Nick started hissing as Wolford fell over laughing. Ginger looked down at him giggling and Jack had covered his mouth with his fist. Gerald was ticking his eyes between them smiling as Fangmeyer sat down in her chair, scratching Finnick again as he growled. Grizzoli was bouncing silently as Judy socked Nick in the arm. “Ow!” He mocked as he rubbed his shoulder. 

Judy stuck her fists on her hips and glared at him. “Let him get up!”

“Yeah you can get up and move around freely, but from now on every time you meet someone new the first thing you’re going to say is Nick Wilde owns my ass.”

“Gods damn it, Nick!”

“Tell me what it is about Fangs that made you agree to that?”

Finnick stood up and was swallowed in two large paws. He chuckled as Fangmeyer grabbed one of his ears and looked back at Nick shrugging. “She’s the largest and strongest tigress I’ve ever seen. She figuratively, and literally is pussy power.”

Fangmeyer looked around watching everyone fall over and lose their breath cackling. Nick stood wiping his eyes as Jack kept snickering. “You all play with names and words like that all the time? What about Bogo?” 

“Buffalo Butt?” Nick asked.

Jack blinked as everyone chuckled and shook their heads. “You call him buffalo butt?”

Wolford shrugged as Jack looked around. “A lot of the officers who have hung around him usually learn how to talk like that and he doesn’t call Chief Bogo that anywhere but here.” 

Nick threw his paws up. “Oh, I had some others, but that one stuck.” Wolford covered his eyes laughing as Ginger took a seat beside him. “I thought about the beefy brawn, brawny bull, bovine biceps, the bovinator, buns of veal. I mean we’re never going to know his real name and he’s so pristine he won’t even come in here. I bet if he got his balls busted, he wouldn’t be such a ball buster. I bet he’s never been with a gi…” Nick wiped his eyes and looked up as Snarlov tapped the glass again. The white wolf’s ears pinned back as everyone stared behind Nick. Nick swallowed as Jack cringed. “He’s right behind me, isn’t he?”

Nick turned and stuck a paw up waving as Bogo glared at him. “Do you want to know my name, Wilde?”

“Eh he? Hi Chief.” Nick tipped his ears back and was followed by everyone else.

“My first name is Imma.” Nick’s ears perked as he looked up, and Bogo leaned over narrowing his eyes. “You think it’s funny I have a girl’s name? Do you know what I think is funny? It’s funny that If I ever hear you call me Buffalo Butt again, Imma put you on parking duty for the rest of your natural life. By the way, you lost the bet about Clawhauser’s Nick name and will be performing all of Officer Hopps parking duties this month. Savalde, let’s go.” Chief Bogo and Jack stepped away to gather the people Finnick had brought to Zootopia as Nick’s face fell. Bogo turned grinning at the shocked expressions before they were all laughing. 

“Isn’t your name Frank?” Jack asked Bogo, looking back and watching them all snickering at Nick.

Bogo chuckled as they walked to the table. “It is.”

The bull stood and greeted everyone as Nick stood there shaking his head. Snarlov tapped on the glass again and Nick met him outside with Finnick and Judy watching. The white wolf was throwing his paws around and Nick’s ears pinned to his head as he pointed through the window at Finnick. Fangmeyer watched the small fox tilt his head smiling as Nick stuck his paws on his hips in an uncomfortable grimace. Judy frowned as Nick threw up both paws shaking his head when Snarlov stuck a finger on his chest. “Finnick? Do you know him? What’s going on?”

Wolford tipped his ears as Finnick grinned and kept watching Nick and Snarlov. “I know him, he hired me a few months ago.”

“Hired you for what?” Fangmeyer asked as they watched Nick rubbing his temples and shaking his head before he sighed and nodded looking back at Judy. Finnick was chuckling as he came back through the door.

“Hey Carrots?” Judy stood up but stayed where she was as Bogo, Jack and Skye walked past the table with the mammals Finnick had gathered. Nick stepped aside letting them leave before he came back to the table and sat next to Judy again. The doe was looking between him and Finnick as Nick leaned to her ears. “Snarlov is bringing his girlfriend in to meet us.” Nick looked at Finnick with a flat face and the smaller fox was grinning as they all looked between the two foxes.

“So? What’s the big deal? Do we know her?” Fangmeyer asked.

“No, ya don’t know her. She don’t know none of you either.” Finnick smirked as Nick glanced at Judy. 

Grizzoli leaned forward looking out the window and back to Nick when his eyes hit the floor. “Is this the same bunny he was talking about? The one he met at the hospital?”

Finnick nodded and Judy’s ears set as the door opened. Snarlov walked in with a white bunny and the doe looked around before spotting the table they were all sitting at. When Judy stood from her chair, Nick grabbed her wrist. Snarlov cringed as the bunny in front of him squeaked and turned into his chest, clutching his shirt. Fangmeyer, Grizzoli, Gerald and Wolford gawked as Snarlov moved to another area keeping his voice low as the doe in front of him seemed to have a meltdown. Judy looked back at Nick and his face fell as he let go of her wrist, seeing her bright red eyes shift and turn a soft pink as she started smiling. Finnick smirked as Nick glanced at him.

“De Ja Vue.” Fangmeyer muttered as they watched Snarlov keeping the bunny he was holding calm while she tried to hide herself in his chest. “Reminds me of the first time Nick brought Judy in here. Who is she?”

“You don’t recognize her?” Nick asked as they all shook their heads. Nick and Wolford looked at each other in shock before looking around the table and watching everyone trying to get a better look. Judy left the area and Nick shook his head as he looked back to Finnick. “She’s-

“Renata.” Finnick almost growled as Nick’s ears pinned back. “That’s her name.”

Nick looked at Wolford cringing and they both turned watching Judy step in front of Snarlov, behind the bunny he was trying to shield from everything. The red fox’s face fell as Judy started talking and he watched the doe turn shivering while Snarlov kept a worried tint on his lips. Judy was smiling as the white doe looked her over. Her face fell as Judy started talking and pointing to Nick. The white wolf curled his face and pinned his ears back as Judy took hold of her paws shaking her head. Finnick smiled and leaned closer, lowering his voice as Nick looked back at him curiously. “Aint too many people who will see her as who she was, cause she aint the same. But she can see ya. Like ya are, and Judy.”

“See us?” Nick asked as he glanced at Wolford. Finnick tilted his head, twirling his finger above his head and Nick sighed as he stood. He shook his head as Finnick started to stand and motioned for Wolford to follow him. They both peeked back watching Finnick talking to everyone at the table, and Judy turned smiling as the white doe stood frozen watching Nick stand behind her with Wolford.

“Nick, this is Roxanne, but everyone calls her Renata.” Judy introduced her and Nick scoffed.

“Renata?” Nick asked frowning. Wolford tipped a brow as the doe shrank into Snarlov and shivered.

Nick’s ears pulled back as Snarlov fought to keep his teeth hidden. “She doesn’t remember anything and sometimes she sees things that aren’t there. It doesn’t happen very often, and the doctor said it might be the only way her mind will ever remember things she forgot. No one knew who she was, so I had to call her something. It means reborn.” Nick curled his cheek and shook his head as Judy looked back at him smiling. 

Nick blinked as he looked at Judy and back to Roxanne. “Reborn?” Judy scrunched her nose as Wolford tilted his head to the side. “Carrots, can you?” He motioned to Roxanne and Judy held her paw out, waiting as Snarlov encouraged her to talk to Judy so he could talk to Nick. 

Wolford stepped away with them and Nick looked back to Snarlov as the wolf kept his eyes on them. “She thinks Judy is a demon that was sent to kill her, and you are an angel that will take her away. I didn’t believe any of this either. None of it. Not until I saw Finnick change. For a while I thought I had imagined what I saw the night I got attacked until I talked to everyone.” Nick looked back at Finnick curling his brow. “I’m telling you that little fox is absolutely gigantic. He almost scared the life out of me.” 

Nick sighed and frowned. “I’m going to ask you the same thing I asked you outside. You’re good at punching holes through stories, but this isn’t a tall tale Swiss. I know this bunny-in the biblical sense. She just chews people up and spits them out. You want me to tell you this is alright? How do you know she’s not just faking this, and playing you? She’s a big part of the reason you were almost killed and didn’t seem to have a problem putting someone else in that position and walking away like it was nothing!”

Snarlov curled his lip as Nick gave him an incredulous glare. “She is not a killer, any more than you are, Nick.”

Nick pulled his lip up and ground his teeth. “I’m pretty sure I haven’t killed anyone and wouldn’t leave someone to die.”

“Are you so sure, Nick? There isn’t one of us that hasn’t killed.” Nick glared as Snarlov ticked his eyes watching Judy talking to Roxanne. “We kill everyday, we kill hope, we kill dreams, we kill things we don’t even give a second thought to. How many times have you squashed a spider? Stepped on an ant? Why does anyone do that and how is it any different than killing a person? Just because we talk and think differently than those animals or insects doesn’t mean we get to be the judge and jury. Why are our lives any more important just because we are different? What if we get judged by every one of the deaths we caused because we don’t give them a second thought? What if we get judged by taking someone else’s chance from them or killing someone else’s dreams? I don’t need your permission to love her.”

“What do you want from me then?!”

“To understand this! You don’t know her. I don’t need your approval or your belief in something I know, and I’m not asking for anything other than you talking to her. I’m not bringing her into my life, this life, if it means she couldn’t be part of it for something she doesn’t even remember. I will leave Precinct one before it happens, Nick.” Snarlov’s face softened watching Roxanne with Judy. “Finnick didn’t even have to look for anything. He shook paws with her and asked me to meet him alone later so he could explain everything. He said she had a story no one would ever want to know, and I should keep it that way. I know I’ll never understand any of this, but it’s like she sees the world like…a kit. She’s afraid of her own shadow, won’t talk to many people because she’s afraid she might say the wrong things and upset someone. She’s extremely shy and sensitive to certain things. She’s just- 

“Pure?” Nick asked, watching as Judy curled her arms around the doe and looked back at him glowing.

“Yeah.” Snarlov sighed happily. The wolf looked at him nervously and pinned his ears back. “He said you were the only one who might help her remember anything.”

Nick grabbed his shoulder shaking his head. “That doesn’t make much sense if he told you to keep her from remembering, Swiss. Does she want to?”

“Yes.” Snarlov cringed. “She just keeps saying she needs to find herself and she doesn’t think she can do that with me. I don’t really know why.”

Nick perked his ears and sighed. “I’ll talk to her.”

Wolford looked back at Nick as he started chuckling and walking their direction with Snarlov. Judy still had her arms around the doe before she turned and rushed into Snarlov’s arms, curling around him as Nick stuck his paw out. “I’m Nick.”

Roxanne looked back at Snarlov as he tipped his head. She looked at Nick and above his head before chewing her lip and shaking paws with him. “Renata.” He chuckled as he bowed his head and was smiling wider as Judy leaned into his side.

“So, Renata, is it? Is there anything I can tell you-I mean err- he stopped as Snarlov’s ears tipped back and watched him curling his arms around her. Nick looked up at Wolford and back to Judy as she smiled. “Can I dance with you? Would you mind if I borrowed her for a dance?”

Judy giggled as Snarlov looked down at the bunny in his arms and nodded. Roxie took his paw nervously and Nick kept his distance as he took hold of both her paws. Judy and Wolford stepped next to Snarlov watching as the smaller wolf chewed his claws. “Snarlov? You met her at the hospital?”

Snarlov nodded as Wolford looked at Judy. The gray doe kept one paw to her face smiling as Nick started dancing with Roxanne. He shook his head and returned his attention to them after they took seats at a table closer to the open section of the floor. 

Nick cocked his head to one side watching Roxanne keeping her focus above his head. “What is it you want from me?”

Her eyes snapped to his and she froze for a second looking at his face. “From you? I don’t want anything from you. You’re an angel aren’t you?” Nick quirked a brow and shook his head. “You seem so familiar, do I know you?”

“You don’t remember anything?” Nick asked with narrowed eyes and her eyes fell before they shot back to Snarlov. “Do you want to remember?”

She turned back to Nick and looked above his head and he rose both brows as her ears fell. “Would it mean I would not have what I have now?”

Nick’s face fell as he watched her look back to Snarlov and he smiled as she looked back at him. “Is he yours?”

“I…don’t know.”

“Do you think you are good enough for him?”

Roxanne froze and her eyes glossed over as her chin dropped. “Am I not? I will stay away from him if I’m not.” 

Nick blinked a few times as Roxanne tipped her head to the side. “What do you want from him? You want him to be yours? Do you love him?”

“I don’t want anything from him, and I don’t want him to be mine.” Nick’s brow dropped as she looked the other way and gulped. “I mean I do, but I don’t even know who I am, and the hospital said it would be a long shot if I ever do. I would want him to be mine, if that’s what he wanted. He says that if you love someone you have to let them go, that if they were meant to be yours, they will return to you. If you think I’m bad for him, I want him to find someone who-

“You, care about what I think?” Nick asked slack jawed as she sighed.

“Why shouldn’t I? If we don’t care about how anyone else thinks or how they feel, how can we expect anyone to care about our feelings or what we think?”

“What did they say to you?”

Roxanne looked back at Judy and Wolford shaking her head. “He didn’t say anything.” She looked back at Nick smiling as he waited. “She said you were the love of her life, and she almost missed you because she didn’t want to love anyone, and that I should be careful what I wished for.”

“You do love him.” 

Roxanne ears lit up when she found Nick looking at her with a soft smile. 

“What difference does that make? If I don’t know who I am, how can he?”

“Roxanne,”

“Please don’t call me that.”

Nick tipped a brow as her ears fell. “I don’t know who that is, who I am. He said you might be able to help me remember. I can’t hope to be with him if I don’t know-

Nick smirked and shook his head as she looked up at him. “We all have demons in our past. I think everyone is worth saving and if you spend too much time looking back at something that has passed, you may not see what is right in front of you. Some people can accept their demons, some people can conquer them, and it will make them stronger. But other people will spend their whole life trying to look back at something they should leave behind and miss so much more, Renata.” He looked at Judy still smiling as he stopped moving. “Sometimes we need someone else to find where we are supposed to be, and someone else to help us become the best version of who we were always meant to be. People can be broken just like anything else. Sometimes it takes finding the right pieces to get all the seams back together. You can’t finish a puzzle if you don’t have all the right pieces, and as similar as we all are, some of us are born, or reborn different than the rest. It doesn’t make them any better, any worse, or any less beautiful than all the others.” She dipped her head turning a bright red as he chuckled at a sight he had never seen. “If there is one thing I know, it’s that love can change your mind about anything, and he’s right about someone coming back to you. Maybe you should go back to him, so he knows.” Nick tipped his ears forward as her cheeks lit up again. “He doesn’t know? He hasn’t told you-

“Told me what?”

Nick blinked a few times looking at her and started smiling again as her ears lifted.

Snarlov sat up in his chair and Judy cupped a paw over her mouth as Nick and Roxanne were bathed in a different kind of yellow glow, not coming from the overhead lights. Wolford tipped his head to one side, watching Snarlov’s jaw drop as Nick walked her back to the table. The fox was chuckling at Judy as she stood curling around him. Wolford curled his lip as Snarlov stood, but doused it as Nick and Judy both gave him a funny look. He looked up blinking as Snarlov stood in front of him with Roxanne wrapped around him. “Can you tell the guys we’ll be back another time? Baby steps here, and this was a little much.” 

Nick waved between her and Wolford. “Wolford, this is Renata.” Wolford held his paw out and waited until Roxanne turned and shook his paw. She turned curling back around Snarlov, and Nick pulled Judy closer, looking at her chuckling. “We’ll let them know.”

Wolford cocked his head to one side and Nick nodded as Snarlov pulled her closer. “Thanks.” 

“Renata?” Nick asked as Snarlov tipped both ears. The doe looked back at him as he held his paw out again. “It was nice to meet you.” She looked back at Snarlov in question and he nodded before she held her paw out again. Nick tipped it over and kissed her paw. “Thank you.” The does cheeks lit up and he snickered as Wolford blinked. Judy giggled as Nick pulled her close again.

“F-for what?” she asked. “I didn’t do anything.”

Nick shrugged as he looked at Judy. “Just being yourself, coming to meet us,” He pulled Judy closer smiling. “For everything.”

Wolford stepped closer to Nick and Judy, watching her leave with Snarlov and shook his head. “The fountain of youth Nick was telling me about doesn’t keep people from aging, does it, Judy?”

Nick brushed his muzzle over Judy’s head as she giggled. “No. It just restores the innocence someone has lost and erases the wounds of living in this world. It makes the body and soul new again if someone drinks it.” 

Nick sighed as Judy looked up at him. “And lets them see the world is full of possibilities, hope, and dreams. They can see things through the eyes of a child again?” She nodded as Nick looked back to the table, watching Finnick chuckle as the group kept looking their direction.   
“I told you love was the only magic left in the world.” Judy sighed as she leaned into his arm.  
“But why are we the only ones who recognized her?” Judy shook her head and they walked back to the table with Nick keeping his eyes narrowed on Finnick. “Finnick, I have a question.” Finnick looked around and jumped off the table as Judy and Wolford retook their seats and explained Snarlov would come back another time to introduce her. They stepped away where no one could hear them, and Nick stuck his paws on his hips. “Why are we the only ones who knew who she was? Did you do something to them to make them not see her?”

Finnick sighed as he crossed his arms over his chest. “Judy can see her cause she changed her. You two can see her cause you and Wolford were the judge and jury.”

“What?” Nick asked curling his lips as Finnick snickered.

“You two were there when she was changed and knew her better than anyone else. If either of ya had told her she wasn’t good enough for Snarlov, or didn’t think she deserved a second chance, she would have changed back to the way she was before.”

“Did Swiss know that?! Why the hell didn’t you tell us that before?!” Nick hissed looking back at the table.

“Cause that aint how it works, Nick. No, he didn’t know either. People can stumble into gettin a second chance. Walk right into it completely blind. But there aint no chance for anyone if someone doesn’t give it to them. Opportunity knocks both ways. People gotta believe in themselves, but there is no chance if there is no faith or hope. If no one else believes it’s possible, it aint possible. It aint a small town mentality to see someone as who or what they once were and did. It’s a world mentality. It’s in all our nature to see the worst or remember the worst about someone we meet or already know. There aint no chance for anyone if no one gives them a chance, no matter how much someone is willin to take a chance or fight for it. If the world sticks someone in a box like that and people aint willin to see them any different, what chance they got? It don’t matter how strong someone is, no one can keep fightin a boulder they keep tryin to roll up a hill alone. Everybody loves this romanticized idea that we are what we chose to be, but we’re just as much what everyone else sees us as. Even if we can get past our own demons, that don’t mean we can get past anyone else’s.”

“And what was your demon! You were just going to let us….How is that going to work after everyone finds out her name, Finnick?!”

“My demon was blamin myself for Amber havin my demon. I couldn’t hurt either of them and cause of that I couldn’t be with anyone after I found out what she was doin. We aint alone in all this, Nick. Ya think I didn’t have faith in ya?”

The small fox chuckled and pointed, and Nick looked back towards the table seeing everyone watching Snarlov with Roxanne outside. The doe was twiddling her fingers nervously as the wolf tipped both brows. “Here I go…..”

Nick’s face fell as he caught her mouth the words Roxanne had rushed under her breath. She stuttered several times and broke down in tears as the white wolf in front of her let his head fall and looked back into the bar at Nick. “Names get changed all the time, Nick. Hers won’t be Angora for very much longer.” Nick watched one side of Snarlov’s cheek tip up in a dopey smile before he stepped closer to Roxanne. The red fox jumped as everyone watching started hooting at the first kiss they shared. Judy, Nick, Finnick and Wolford were the only one who saw the light swirling around them and cementing her into who she would always be in Snarlov’s arms. He looked back to Finnick and the smaller fox smirked, jumping back on the table in front of Fangmeyer. 

“What were we taking about again?” He asked bringing up another subject so no one was asking about Snarlov and Roxanne. “Oh yeah, Why the hell did my father agree to the name Nicholas?”

Finnick laughed as he plopped on the table again. “He was happy you was healthy. Said your mamma did all the hard work that came after havin all the fun. You oughtta know better than anyone that Nick names stick. I stuck it to ya, didn’t I? And it stuck to you real good, Nick.”

The group around the table was rolling as Nick narrowed his eyes in a sneaky smile. Finnick smirked and bounced his brows looking back out the window. Snarlov curled around the doe and looked back in chuckling as Nick shook his head. Wolford’s ears shot up as Jack stepped back into the bar with Skye and yelled. “LAST CALL PEOPLE! THOSE OF YOU WHO ARE PART OF THE HELLSPAWN PROGRAM NEED TO MEET US AT THE GRAND PANGOLIN ARMS APARTMENT COMPLEX IN LESS THAN AN HOUR!” Nick watched several large black vans pass the front of the bar as Bogo headed to his car. Snarlov turned waving with Roxanne and they walked away paw in paw as Judy found her way back to Nick’s arms……


	31. New Crew

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Butting Heads

New Crew

Beatles; Come together*

Jack and Skye stepped back to the table as Wolford stood looking for Ginger. The buck watched the red panda making her way back to the table and stand next to the wolf as Judy and Nick left their chairs. “Bogo will be meeting us there.”

“Isn’t that apartment building across from the District One police department? Why would you put them there?” Wolford asked as they all looked at her and Jack.

“It is.” Skye nodded as she looked around at everyone and back to Jack.

Jack scowled as he stuffed his paws in his pockets. “It was against my better judgement and the bureau still has some concerns about getting involved, so I am just an overseer at this point until I can prove my case. Lionheart and Bellwether thought it would be better to have our initial residence in a neutral place where no one felt like they were being held prisoner. Most of the mammals afflicted are predators and already have an understanding of how the world sees them. She wanted to make sure we weren’t reinforcing any stereotypes that could be perceived by anyone. I have agents there to keep the building secure, but they are trained to be seen as renters and only get involved if there is a problem.”

“Dawn is behind all this?” Nick asked curling a brow.

Jack nodded as he looked around. “Lionheart technically, but she seems to be the one coordinating everything. She was…” Jack looked at Skye and she shrugged as he shook his head. “She was pretty fierce when it came to how things were going to be handled. Well how people were going to be handled. She pretty much told the bureau that if they put anyone under lock and key just because they had this particular problem she would release a press statement that called us out for it and tell everyone everything.”

“The assistant mayor is…black mailing the government into being nice?” Judy asked as Jack sighed.

“Pretty much, that and she said she would take responsibility if anything went wrong. She went as far as giving them a prerecorded message they could release if anything happened one way or the other. I’m not exactly sure what she did, but I do know she has some kind of ace in the hole that backed them down.” Nick looked at Judy as Jack looked around. “There is an apartment there for you as well, Judy. I know you and Nick kept your distance from each other while you were at the academy because of how things were, but it might be helpful if you stayed there and talked to the others. Be a mentor of sorts?”

Judy nodded as she stuck both paws on her hips. “I can help them if they are like me. Nick can talk to their mates and give them advice on how handle certain situations.”

“It might not be a bad idea for you to have a place of your own for a while, Carrots. Find your own feet? It would give us some time to set a date. I’m also a wonderful teacher.” Nick held his head up and Judy nodded, giggling as she rolled her eyes.

Wolford chuckled as he tried to stand away from the table. “There aren’t too many stones he leaves unturned.”

“I haven’t turned your stones have I, Fort? That’s why you keep asking. You always want something more when you can’t have it.”

Wolford watched Jack covering his mouth and looked back at Nick growling playfully when Ginger crossed her arms over her chest. “He doesn’t need you to turn his stones. I can do that for him just fine.”

Grizzoli and Gerald chuckled, and Nick laughed. “You need Spicy to talk for you too? Since the divorce is final, she can do that now, just make sure you send the alimony checks to the house and I don’t want custody of all these kits running around here. Except for Nappy. He’s the youngest so I’m going to use him to impress my next wife and I’m only going to keep him to get child support. But he’ll be with you most of the time because I don’t want to deal with him either. Don’t worry Fort, you’re still my best Bitch. I’ll always come back.”

Wolford narrowed his eyes as they all giggled. “You think I need someone else talking for me? I’ve spent more than enough time around you to poke fun too. You aren’t coming anywhere near my back either, Nick. Don’t be dishing it out if you can’t take it.”

Nick curled his lip and frowned as he nodded. “This is why we got divorced. You still can’t get over me not letting you be on top. If I’ve told you once I’ve told you a million times, Fort: you aren’t poking anything at me and I’m not taking it from you or anyone else. That bridge will never be burnt, even though I left you quaking burning yours. If I want some poke fun that’s what’s she’s for.” He threw a thumb at Judy and she hissed as everyone started rolling again.

Judy curled her lip up playfully and sneered as Nick bounced his brow. “You want me to lite a fire under you? You should still be terrified.”

Nick looked off to an invisible corner and nodded as he grabbed his chin. “Still not terrified, Carrots. I can be petrified if you want me to. You always turn wood to stone. I’m always petrified around you, and starving. I’d love some pie.”

Judy looked around watching everyone trying to catch their breath as Nick smirked. “Pie?” Judy asked as she lifted a brow in a sly smile. “My oven isn’t equipped to bake pies.” 

Jack covered his mouth and Skye lifted a brow as the buck started hissing. “You know what he’s doing don’t you, Jack?” She rolled her eyes when Jack couldn’t even spit out a word and pointed back to Nick.

“Oh.” Nick sighed as he looked off nodding. “I was thinking more like I could be the filling, give you back the blueberries you keep giving me. I can stuff both your pie holes with some ice cream and then you won’t be hungry anymore either.”

Judy’s eyes glowed as Jack grabbed the back of a chair and hit his knees laughing. “Blue berries?” Skye asked as Nick looked at her grinning. 

“Blue berries, blue balls, whatever you want to call them. I’m pretty sure all rabbits go without underwear so the does are free birding and the bucks are free balling for easier access. Hey Jack? You’ve been married to Skye for how long, and she hasn’t figured out rabbit language yet? I could fill her in if you want?” Skye’s eyes widened and Nick frowned as he backed his head away. “Maybe you should just pass the buck and I can -

Jack shook his head as he watched Skye’s face morph to completely stunned and then indignatios outrage. The vixen looked around shaking her head and shook a finger at Nick. “There’s something wrong with you and you stay away from my mate.” Jack scrambled to his feet and Skye’s face turned a bright red as she grabbed his arm and yanked him out the door. Finnick fell over on the table as Judy looked at Nick and growled in a way that made the fur on the back of his neck stand up. 

Nick bounced in silent laughter watching the Arctic vixen throwing her paws around screaming as Jack kept laughing beside their car. Wolford sighed and pursed his lips. “Damn you’re going to make working with them difficult, you impossible little fucker.”

Judy raised a brow as Skye shoved Jack into their car and looked back as Nick hummed. Nick smirked as he looked at Judy. “I told you fucking wasn’t impossible. I did get in there, but she is little and I did-  
Judy grabbed his ear and Nick shrank from her chuckling as she narrowed her eyes. “I told you I would make you eat your own tail.”  
He held his paws up and Wolford shook his head as Nick smiled and bounced his brows. “Difficult? I won’t make working with them difficult, but you know I always make things harder, Fort. Why do you keep bringing it up…. Oh, I guess it’s because I keep bringing it up.”

“Ugh…” Wolford groaned and smacked a paw to his face as they all kept laughing.

Fangmeyer wiped her eyes and sat up catching her breath, watching Finnick look her over grinning. “You want to grab and go?”

Finnick smiled, showing off all his teeth as she stood from her chair and looked back at him. “I already snapped your snatch, but I don’t see why it can’t be a double feature. Speakin of double features, you two come here.” Wolford and Ginger flicked their ears and leaned over as Finnick whispered and stood up flat faced as he tipped a brow. “Ya gonna have a problem with them two species bein there?” They both looked at each other and shook their heads as Finnick smiled and nodded. “We all still gotta go meet Jack and Skye at the apartments though.”

“All?” Judy asked as Nick’s ears lifted.

Wolford cracked his neck. “Yeah a few officers are going to be there. Chief asked me and Fangmeyer to come along. He said he wanted a few uniforms to be there until Jack explained everything, but wants ya in plain clothes so it don’t look suspicious. Clawhauser and the Chief will be the only ones in uniform. He picked him because he’s the friendliest and wanted him around to get everyone comfortable first.”

Finnick yawned and stood stretching before he jumped off the table. “I got a few last-minute arrivals I gotta meet up with and guide there too. Well two of them anyway. They’re prey mammals who got cursed before everything happened and all of them’s a pawfull. Bellwether is bringing one of them and I gotta see if I can get the other two there without them killin each other.”

“Prey mammals? They’re all cursed? Killing each other?” Judy asked as Finnick huffed.

“Yeah, I aint goin into details about how they got cursed or how them two met and fell in love after they got cursed. It’s like damn fanatics of opposite sports teams when them two is together.” 

“Who are Bellwether and Lionheart bringing?”

Finnick chuckled as he opened the door. “Everybody’s dyin to find out aint they?” Fangmeyer walked out before Finnick as Nick and Judy listened to his laughter fading.

Nick and Judy watched Skye drive away with Jack before the red fox looked around with a furled his brow. “Where did Delgato go?” 

They each looked back to the booth and turned to Ginger as she giggled. “I told him to take Veronica home. She twisted her ankle and couldn’t ride her bike.”

“Well I hope she enjoys the-thump- Nick yelped as Wolford flicked his ear and chuckled. “You don’t even know what I was going to say, Fort!” Wolford and Nick glanced at each other grinning. 

“Yes, I do.” Wolford growled before they were laughing and saying goodbye to Grizzoli and Gerald. 

Nick looked back at the bar as Ginger stepped outside with Wolford and curled his brow as the bear lit a cigar. He walked back to the table narrowing his eyes. Grizzoli rolled his eyes as Nick grabbed the cigar and the bear shook his head growling. “You know you could lose fingers if you keep doing that?” 

Judy looked back at the door and sighed. “I’ll wait in the car.” 

Nick nodded at Judy before he snuffed it out and stuck it in the bears face scowling. “Smokey, you’re better than this.”

“Don’t say it, Nick.”

Nick squinted as Gerald ticked his eyes between them. “Remember Smokey, only you can prevent forest fires.” He smirked as he tossed the cigar in an abandoned glass and winked at the cheetah before he walked away. 

“You’re a brown bear who lived in the woods and he calls you Smokey the bear because of cigars?” Gerald looked up at the bear and Grizzoli’s face fell flat as the cheetah fell over in the seat laughing.

The fox caught Wolford at the door and chuckled before he turned and pointed at Ginger. “She’s coming with you to the apartments, Fort? Who’s watching the place?”

Ginger shrugged as Wolford chuckled. “Bogo wants her to be the eyes and ears at the bar. He said if he had known a little more about our personal lives this may not have happened. Technically this isn’t a case and we are doing some kind of work for the mayor’s office. Bellwether sent a message and invited the people she thought were the best ones to be there after discussing it with the Chief.”

Nick curled his lip as he looked around. “Now I’m really curious about how little miss Sunshine is pulling all the strings in this.”

Wolford shrugged. “Beats me. She asked for everyone who was familiar with you. Must have something to do with that ace in the hole Jack said something about. I know Bogo isn’t even fighting too much of this and has taken a personal interest.”

Ginger looked back at the bar and smiled. “I have Terrance watching the place now that the kitchen is closed. He’s a retired cop and can close up if all the business leaves.”

Nick groaned as he turned, walking to his car and slid behind the driver’s seat looking at Judy. “This place might lose it’s luster if Buffalo butt starts coming in and keeping tabs on us.”

“Lose it’s luster?” Judy asked as he fastened his seat belt and started the car.

“Yeah. We may not be able to joke around like we do if he’s in there all the time, or if Ginger is telling him what’s going on.”

Judy looked around and leaned forward as Nick turned the corner. “Nick, you’re going the wrong way.”

He chuckled as he shook his head. “No. I’m not, Carrots. This way is faster. We’ll go right by the back of the precinct and avoid driving around the park this way. See, there’s the parking lot behind the sta- NO - WAY.” 

The car crawled to a stop as Nick’s jaw fell and Judy sat up looking out the window. She cupped her paws over her muzzle and turned seeing Nick with one eye ticking. “Is that Chief Bogo and, Mrs. Beesly….kissing?”

Nick rolled his window down and stuck his head out watching the bull’s ears flick back and pulled the car closer before he whistled at them. Bogo turned and let his face go flat as Nick bit his lip. “Hello Mrs. Beesly, and Chief.” He sang in a disturbingly sweet voice as Bogo curled his lip and groaned.

“Hello, Nicky.” The bear chirped as she looked up at Bogo grinning.

“Not single anymore, Mrs. Beesly? How did you two…” Nick asked, and Judy tipped a brow as the little bear laughed. 

“I’m working on it. I met Frank the day they had us all come in and give statements about how the apartments caught on fire. I’ve been trying to get a Frankfurter ever since.” The bear smacked Bogo on the rear and he flinched as his ears turned red. “Imma’s gonna get him eventually.” Bogo bit his lip as Nick covered his mouth snickering.

“Her first name is Imma? Now I know where he got that- PFFT! Oh Gods, this is too good.” Nick hissed quietly with Bogo biting his cheek. 

Mrs. Beesly walked away giggling as she waved goodbye. “See you later, Beefinator!”

“Beef-n- ate…..Nick put all the words together and fell over in his seat, rolling in hysterics as Judy cupped both paws over her mouth. “Does that mean beef and ate- hahahahaha! Or beef and she- hahahahaha!” 

Judy’s ears fell as Bogo leaned closer to the car and growled. “Not - One - Word -Wilde. EVER.”

“Nick, cut it out!” Nick gasped as he tried to sit up and Judy shook her head with a horrified face as Bogo snorted. 

“I-I can’t help it, Carrots. He - hahahaha!” Bogo growled as Nick sat up and Judy jumped into his lap grabbing a chunk of the skin on his neck with her teeth. The fox froze as all his fur puffed out and closed his eyes, hissing as his teeth clamped together and arms wrapped around her. Bogo tipped an ear up as Nick rumbled in an unexplainable definition of physical and emotional expression. “C-Carrots. This is r-really uncomfortable.”

“Ar ou don?” She asked and he curled his arms around her struggling to nod. “Yu sur?” A small whine and she let go, petting the sides of his cheeks. 

Bogo shot Nick an evil smile as he looked up at him fighting not to pant and the bull chuckled as Judy slipped back to the passenger seat. “I may not be able to control that mouth of yours, but I think she can. Until everything is settled the mayor’s office is postponing you two being the face of the Z.P.D. I’m sure Bellwether will be thrilled that everyone has a safety net.” Judy cringed in an awkward smile as Bogo left chuckling and Nick turned to her frowning.

“What the hell was that, Carrots?!”

“Nick, I don’t think that’s a can of worms you want to let out of the dark.”

Nick’s brow dropped to a straight line as one side of his lip curled over his teeth. “What? The expression is- it’s not a can of worms you want to open.”

Judy sighed. “I know but that’s not what it means.”

“Yes, it is. If you open a can of worms, they’re all going to get away and you don’t have them anymore. It’s like letting the cat out of the bag, spilling the beans, telling a secret. What else could it mean, Carrots?”

“I know it means those things in an expression, Nick. But it also means something else in literal terms, especially if you are going fishing.” Nick quirked a brow as he stuck the car in gear and looked back at her curiously as he pulled to a stop light. Judy shrugged. “I know what it refers to as far as keeping secrets but if you’re going fishing and you’re in a boat with a can of worms, my Dad explained it another way. The worms can get out of the dirt in the can but if they fall into the water they will drown. Even if they don’t get out of the boat and get out of the can, the sun will dry them up and they’ll die. If the dirt they are in gets dried out by the sun the worms still die. You can’t catch fish with dead worms, open the can and expose the worms or the dirt they are in to the sun when you’re fishing, one way or another they will die. Chief Bogo might kill you if you tell everyone his business. The only way to keep the worms alive is to keep them in the dark. Stay in the dark, Nick.”

Nick looked out the windshield and one side of his cheek ticked up as Judy leaned forward watching him. He caught Bogo look back at him as Clawhauser stepped beside him and remembered how everyone acted at the funeral, and what Duke had said about Bogo and Big talking. “Is this really a can of worms you want to open, Wilde?” he asked himself quietly as Judy lifted a brow. “They all knew…..”

“Nick?”

He picked up his phone and hit a number, waiting as Judy rested her paw on his shoulder. The fox lifted both eyes as he heard the line click and screaming in the background. “Boris?” A grunt and Nick cringed as he heard Fru Fru screaming. “Is Fru Fru having the baby?” Boris grunted again and Nick cupped a paw over his muzzle as he heard a faint crying in the background and Mr. Big laughing. “Tell Fru Fru not to let them see it gets to her.” Nick leaned back smiling as the bear growled. “How is Mr. Big?” 

There was a long silence as Nick looked at Judy grinning. “Is everyone alright, is little Judy alright?”

Nick’s ears perked as Boris chuckled. “Perfectly healthy.”

“You can talk?”

“One should choose their words carefully, lest others know of all things hidden.”

Nick closed his eyes to keep them from spilling as he looked at precinct one. “You know I grew up around her too.”

“We are fortunate to have a love who gives us life, the first love, the first friend we know. One willing to do anything to keep us safe. Fru Fru will be good at this. She had a very good example.” Boris said softly as Nick sucked in a breath and cleared his eyes.

“Tell Fru Fru we’d like to come meet baby Judy soon, but it will probably be the last time we can come over. I can ask Mr. Anderson to set something up. It might be better that way. I’m sure Mr. Big will keep everyone safe. Can you tell her, them, I love them?”

“We will keep everyone safe, as we always have. That is what family does. I will relay the message for you, Officer Wilde.”

“Thank you, Boris.” Nick hung up and sat the phone on the seat looking at Judy.

“Nick?” he pulled her over the seat dragging the seat belt with her before he closed his eyes and curled around her. “Is something wrong?”

“No, Carrots. We should get going. We’re supposed to be there in a few minutes.” He let her go and jumped as a horn blared behind them.

“GET OUT OF THE ROAD!” 

“Yeesh.” Nick growled as he turned the corner and parked the car, curling his lip as Finnick pulled up behind the car that had been screaming at them. Judy stepped out after Nick and they glanced at each other as a kudu and a gemsbok left an older Ford screaming at each other.

“Why do you always have to be so rude?!” Bucky sneered.

“Like you have any room to talk after what you said about Trump!” Pronk growled curling his fists.

“HEY!” Finnick barked and they both looked at him pulling their lips over their teeth, “You two was supposed to meet me half an hour ago at the junction! Keep your voices down!”

Pronk lifted his head and shook his horns glaring at Finnick. “We aren’t apologizing for being loud or getting seen by someone else. Do you think we’re stupid? Just because you’re Cerberus doesn’t mean they don’t have something over your head and might be making you do this too! Like we don’t know this is some kind of government conspiracy to round us all up and we didn’t take some precautions?”

Nick looked at Judy and tipped a brow. “Cerberus?”

Chief Bogo stood at the door shaking his head as Judy shrugged. “It’s Finnick’s demon name and the only one he will answer to if he’s in his demon form.” She sighed watching Finnick curl his lip as Bucky threw his paws up. 

“Oh, here we go again. You always think there’s some kind of conspiracy about something! Just SHUTUP!”

“YOU AREN’T MALE ENOUGH TO MAKE ME SHUTUP, SO YOU SHUTUP!”

“AND YOU AREN’T FEMALE ENOUGH TO MAKE ME SHUTUP, SO YOU SHOULD SHUT UP!”

“THAT MAKES ABOUT AS MUCH SENSE AS YOU SAYING YOU’LL PAY ME FOR DOING SOMETHING IF I DO IT FOR FREE, BUCKY!”

“You can lick my balls for free and I’ll give you a lollipop for doing it.” Bucky smirked and Pronk looked at him blinking before they both growled, grinning as their eyes started glowing red.

“HEY-GET INSIDE!” Finnick groaned and his eyes lit up as their attention snapped to him.

Bucky and Pronk walked to the doors as Bogo opened them and sneered at each other. “You pissed off the big dog! Shut up.”

“You shut up.”

“Both of you should shut up before I glue your tiny mouths together.” Bogo puffed his chest out as they looked up at him. Fangmeyer took them both to the elevator and Jack tipped his head as Skye watched the doors closing.

Skye looked at Nick and Judy as they walked through the doors. “And I thought you two were weird.” Jack chuckled when Nick winked at him as Skye pulled him closer. 

Finnick looked back out the door as a large limo pulled up and shook his head. “Them aint the ones ya gotta worry about.”

Bogo groaned as he watched Lionheart and Bellwether leave the car. The lion reached back in helping another figure out who was wearing a long cloak that kept everything hidden. “It aint them either. Did ya meet Thelma and Loise? A red vixen and a brown bunny doe?”

Jack and Skye nodded. “Sweet quiet couple.”

The small fox looked up at them shaking his head. “Them two’s the ones ya need to watch. Appearance’s can be decievin. Bucky and Pronk are harmless, just annoyin and loud. Thelma and Loise are a different story.”

“I’m already familiar with who they are. I’m also familiar with who you are and that a few of them have criminal records.” Bogo growled as they all glanced at him. 

Finnick sneered as Bogo frowned. “I’d suggest ya don’t be lettin what ya think ya know cloud what ya see. I took your suggestion about your clerk bein a good fit for this on some good faith even though I aint met him yet, ya ought to do the same with everybody here.”

Bogo looked back to the elevator as Jack lifted his ears and turned his eyes the same way before he asked the bull a question. “How is it you know about those two and I don’t?”

Bogo crossed his arms over his chest as everyone looked at him waiting. “Hobby, looking into cases of robbery, murder, and arson that might be connected. Are they the only ones we should be worried about?” He looked at Finnick and the small fox smirked as he glanced at the figure coming across the street with Lionheart and Bellwether. 

“Unless somebody threatens one of them, ya aint gotta worry. And they aint dangerous in the way you’re thinkin. Like I said, appearances can be deceivin and the reports ya been lookin at don’t tell why things happened like they did. It aint as black and white as what’s on paper, and not all of them that can cause problems are on paper.”

Chief Bogo gave Finnick a harsh grunt before he stepped out of Jack’s way. “That did not answer my question. Someone else I need to watch?”

Finnick ticked his head to the side. “Might be one, but ya can decide for yourself after ya meet everybody and hear their stories.”

Bogo sighed. “Wolford and Clawhauser are already downstairs keeping an eye on everyone and Fangmeyer is keeping an eye on those two.”

“And havin a cop watchin them is what might cause problems. They were on the run and tryin to drive off the side of a cliff when I found them cause nobody would listen.” Finnick almost snarled.

“Which is why most of my officers are all in plain clothes except for Clawhauser, Mr. Finnick. Clawhauser couldn’t intimidate a mouse even if I ordered him to, but I do want them to know we are present.” Bogo snarked and Finnick rolled his eyes.

“They already knew cops would be here, aint it enough that they showed up?”

Jack stepped out the door holding it open for Lionheart, Bellwether, and their guest. “I have my agents in place. They are stationed throughout the building and there are several with the officer’s downstairs already.”

Bellwether giggled as Jack looked at Finnick. “Is this everyone?”

“For the time bein. We got a special case I gotta deal with downstairs first though.” Finnick ticked his head and they stepped aside letting the mayor and his little group to the elevator.

“Almost all of them at the bar were foxes and rabbits besides the lynx and the squirrel we saw. What other species are there?” Jack asked as he pushed the button for the other elevator.

“Red foxes, a Maned wolf, a Red panda, a Red Flying squirrel, a Grey fox, a Kudu, a Gemsbok, and one Red Lynx. I had to give Wolford and Ginger a heads up about the maned wolf and red panda first and brought them here instead of havin them meet at the bar like the others because I knew about the history they got and didn’t want it to be an issue. They both said it wouldn’t be.” 

Nick chewed his lip as Jack nodded. “How many aren’t here?”

“Just one. One I gotta convince to stay, the other aint gonna make it. He’s sick, this curse was made for a reason and did its job.” Judy and Nick glanced at Finnick as he shook his head and dropped his eyes. 

Nick grabbed Judy’s paw as they stepped into the elevator, watching Jack and Skye cringe. “You said for the time being?”

Finnick shook his head. “Aint too many who know how to cast the curse around anymore, but that don’t mean they still can’t. We might end up with others later, and a few of them got cursed for some weird reasons. All together there’s sixteen of us here. With them and their mates there’s thirty-seven in the building.”

“Weird reasons? I thought you said there were seventeen?” Nick asked as they all perked their ears.

“There are seventeen, sixteen here, and four that aint wearin a ring. Just cause I offered them this don’t mean they all accepted it and some of them don’t have mates. Judy don’t need a ring. Thelma and Loise are a good example of weird reasons. House wife bunny and a vixen that’s best friends, husband didn’t like them bein that close and accused them of foolin around. He cursed Loise, thinkin it would get rid of the problem and they ran off together.”

“They weren’t fooling around?” Bogo asked and the foxes and rabbits leered at him.

Jack rolled his eyes. “Rabbits don’t cheat and neither do foxes, they don’t leave their mates either.”

Finnick nodded when They all looked at him again. “Unless the buck is the one tryin to hurt somebody cause he’s jealous. He aint around no more.” Finnick sighed when Bogo growled. 

“How is she’s still around if she left him and he’s….dead?” Jack asked.

“Friends can turn into somethin more, especially if they know each other long and about each other’s species to know how things work.”

“Ah.” Jack nodded. “The bunny rebonded to the vixen?”

Finnick looked at Bogo and nodded. “Yeah. That murder you was lookin into was cause someone tried to hurt Thelma, and Loise lost her shit. She killed him protecting her best friend, the fire was just a side effect. I did find a surveillance video on it if ya think it aint true cause they were at a park fishin at the time. Happened inside one of them…out buildins.”

“I’d have to see that to clear them. I suppose the stealing can be explained away too.” Bogo growled as Finnick looked at him and chuckled. 

“They never hurt nobody else. They stole what they needed to eat, gas runnin from the cops and nothin else.” The bull blinked as Finnick smirked. “Told ya it wasn’t like what ya read and I know everything about everybody here. One of them who chose not to accept the ring did so cause she don’t want nobody controllin her. She got cursed by her mother.”

Judy cringed and scrunched her nose. “Why would anyone do that, to their own kit?”

“Cause her mother didn’t want no one takin advantage of her in the line of business she went into and it insured the talent she has got her to the top and nothin else.”  
Judy shook her head. “I thought you could control all the demons? She used it to…

“Protect her daughter from the kind of predators that can take advantage of someone young and inexperienced in an industry where people can be as vicious as an actual savage? When she knew she couldn’t be with her all the time to keep it from happenin? Yeah. She explained it to her daughter and her daughter thought it was a good idea. She aint like anyone else here. She accepted it from the get go, a little like me except her mother paid someone to throw the curse and it wasn’t done for the usual reasons. I can control them, if they get outta paw. I aint gonna make them do anything they don’t want to. I’ll just keep them from doin anything stupid if they need or want help. She don’t.”

Judy tipped a brow. “I thought you were the reason the curse couldn’t be used on someone young like that.”

Finnick chuckled. “I am, but she was old enough to understand it. Fifteen at the time. She knew what was goin on, her mother explained everything to her and gave her some time to think about it first.”

Nick quirked a brow as Finnick smirked. “Who is paying for all this? Jack? If you aren’t and the agency isn’t? Housing all of them and food and the…how are there that many here if there are only sixteen of them?” 

They all looked at Finnick tipping a brow as his eyes flashed red and Bellwether giggled looking beside lionheart at the figure in the corner. Jack rubbed his temples and sighed. “The city is providing the building. The ones who have ‘mates’, brought them too, the rest, I’m sure whoever it is,” he pointed to the dark red cloak in the corner and the hood fell lower as Finnick laughed. “Must have some kind of influence because the agency backed off.”

“You mean from trying to exterminate them, or just toss them into cages?” Dawn asked and deflated as Lionheart pressed a finger to her shoulder chuckling. 

“I’m not sure I wouldn’t have done the same thing trying to keep people safe, Dawn.” She waved a paw at the lion and rolled her eyes.

Nick leaned over trying to get a better look until Lionheart stepped in front of the cloaked figure puffing his chest out. He held his paws up and stepped back with Judy as everyone shifted closer to the doors when the elevator chimed.

The doors opened to a large area and they stepped out catching Clawhauser sitting with a red fox who looked like he was carrying the weight of the world. Deep blue eyes and a tired frame didn’t keep him from trying to stand and greet everyone as Finnick introduced him. “This is Phil.” The red fox glared at Finnick and sighed before he shook everyone’s paws.

Nick was the last to greet him and withdrew from the other fox biting his cheek after feeling how badly he was shaking. “Finnick says you haven’t decided to stay. Is there something we can do to make you more comfortable until we know why, Phil?”

The blue-eyed fox glared at Finnick again and looked back at Nick frowning. “You can stop calling me Phil for one. My name is Orpheus.”

Finnick growled and shook his head. “Ya can’t go by that name or the deal I made aint gonna work.”

“There is no deal you could make that will matter. I only came because you wouldn’t leave me be. I still don’t believe anything you have said. I screwed up and nothing can change it.” The fox snarled. “My name is Orpheus, and it’s all I have left.”

Nick tipped his ears back shaking his head at Finnick. “Finnick, maybe you should leave the Nick names to me, and Orpheus, would you mind explaining everything?”

Finnick stepped away folding his ears back as Bogo stood with Bellwether and Lionheart. Nick perked his ears and Judy had taken an interest in the mysterious figure when the hood had lifted as if suddenly paying attention. Jack and Skye both set their ears as the fox crumpled into a chair and covered his eyes with his paws. “My wife and I eloped. When we returned, I was cursed by one of her aunts, but it was already too late for both of us. We were mated. I left hoping she would be alright, but found out she was poisoned by someone in her family and dying. So, I sang for her. The Gods extended my life after hearing my songs and told me I should talk to Hades. I was allowed to bring her back from the underworld when she died after Hades heard my music, but I wasn’t supposed to look back at her until we had left the underworld. In my haste to see her again, I looked back after I had returned, but she still had a foot on the path over the river Styx Hades had made for us to leave, she was gone as soon as I saw her. I broke the deal and my Eurydice is gone forever.” 

Nick flipped his ears back and looked at Finnick as the small fox chuckled. “This was part of the deal I made. There aint anybody that’s ever changed Hades mind, but everyone knows the story. There was a reason she was poisoned, and it wasn’t cause she was with you, well not directly anyway. Ya can’t use the names ya got or Hades will rescind the deal.” He pointed to a door and Jack chuckled as he walked to it turning the knob.

As much as Nick adored Judy and thought she was the most beautiful mammal he had ever seen, the doe who walked into the room was radiant and left them all gaping, not just at her appearance, but also at the five little bundles she was holding against her chest, tied around her in a sling. Nick tilted his head grinning and Judy’s jaw nearly dropped. Everyone gasped as Orpheus looked back to Finnick. “I told ya I could prove it. It wasn’t safe to bring her around you. Ya had to come here. Her aunt put the snake in the garden to poison her after she told them she was having your kits.” 

Orpheus cupped both paws over his muzzle and stood, backing away as she smiled and tipped her head at him with teary eyes. “A rose would still smell just as sweet, if it were called by another name, my love.” 

The red fox looked at Finnick and he smirked as he tipped his head at the doe. “Don’t ya want to meet your kits? Your demon already agreed to this, but ya both gotta be in agreement for it to work. Think ya might want to stay now?” He asked as he pulled one of the rings off his collar and held it out. Nick cocked his head as he watched the other fox grab the ring and look it over before glancing back to the doe holding his kits. She held up her paw showing him the same ring and he stuck it on his finger, watching it shrink to fit before he stepped closer and fell apart as he wrapped one arm around her. Judy cooed as several little feet pulled up when he ran his paw over their ears. “Ya can stay here and catch up with each other. I would like to keep ya out of the general mix until they are a little older and we are gonna have to find ya new names.”

“Roll and Dice.” Nick chirped and they all looked at him blinking as he chuckled. “The only way you can add one plus one and end up with seven is if you roll the dice.” 

Orpheus glared at Nick. “Oh what tangled webs we weave when we practice to deceive? You want to call her Dice? I’m not comfortable with lying but we will agree to new names because it will keep us safe. Do you have any idea what roll the dice would mean to someone who understands how rabbits talk? I do not want everyone thinking that when they meet us or her. I know how lucky I am to have them, but I will not agree to those names.” 

Nick frowned. “Ok, maybe not your speed, I’m sure there’s another way to spin new names.” He blinked as he started smiling. “Spider webs keep spiders alive even though they cause death. They are unique and beautiful and spun to serve a purpose, to stay alive. Maybe she should be the Spinner who keeps the web in place, and you should be Seven because you got a lucky seven with her?”

The fox and doe looked at each other and she nodded before he pulled her closer to his chest and rested his head on hers. “Exactly how are we going to get new names for everyone who might need them if the agency isn’t helping much, Jack?” Nick asked. The figure in the hooded cloak giggled and they all shot their eyes to her as she cleared her throat. “You’re the girl who wanted the curse aren’t you?” Nick watched Bogo smirk as Clawhauser narrowed his eyes and gave the mysterious girl a suspicious look. “You know who she is?”

Bogo nodded as Skye cleared her throat. “I have the identity issues covered.”

Nick chuckled as he shook his head. “The Internet Troll? He got the job?”

Skye giggled and nodded as Jack chuckled. “If he really is the ‘chosen one’, this would be the perfect opportunity for him to prove it.” 

Nick laughed as Jack stepped behind Skye and opened a large set of doors. “If you would all be so kind as to follow me, we can meet everyone else.” 

Finnick turned and tipped his head to the fox and doe as he pointed back to the room she had been in. “Make yourselves at home.”

The fox nodded and stepped away with the doe and kits as Jack waited for everyone to walk through the doors. Nick was keeping an eye on Clawhauser who was paying unusual attention to the cloaked female staying close to Lionheart and Bellwether. The little sheep was grinning as Jack raised his voice calling everyone’s attention. “HELLO PEOPLE, IF YOU WOULD COME TOGETHER, WE CAN MEET EVERYONE!”

Nick was shaking his head trying to fathom how such a large place was under the small apartment building while everyone started gravitating towards them. Dawn giggled as she watched the group gather in front of her. “This building was once used as a military fallout shelter. It was purchased by an eccentric in the thirties and converted to an apartment building, but he kept this part of the place a secret because it was never on the blueprints. The city reclaimed it for back taxes and has used it for private events, but not in several decades. It was forgotten again until I was digging through things after talking to Mr. Finnick, trying to find someplace suitable for everyone to live and…work.”

Bogo looked around watching his officers looking over their guests as the guests sized them up as well. Jack and Skye stepped aside as Clawhauser stepped forward extending a paw to Finnick. “You must be Finnick. I’m Benji Clawhauser.”

Finnick grabbed his paw and nodded. “I am Finnick, and Nick Wilde owns my ass.” All the officers and agents froze and stared at him before Finnick face palmed. Those who understood it snickered as Nick’s head flew back laughing. 

“Before we even get started here I gotta ask somethin and it might as well get out here cause we’re gonna have to explain everything anyway.” Nick raised his ears as Finnick looked between him and Wolford. “If his partner was one of the first ones April took and it was before you was a cop- how does that fit in the timeline?”

Wolford looked between Nick and Ginger curiously as the red panda chewed her lip. Nick sighed and Finnick folded his paws over his chest. “You remember the last time you came to the bar, Finnick? It was my sixteenth birthday. The night you said you wouldn’t be going back if Herald wouldn’t sell you beer while we were with you because he knew what you were planning?” 

Finnick nodded as he looked between them. “Yeah, it was the first time I went in there and there was cops all over the place, was the last time too. Knew him for years and the only reason he let you in that night was cause Ginger was with us.”

“I know. It was also the first night Ginger saw Wolford. None of them noticed us, but she noticed him.”

Finnick scowled. “I thought ya had a thing for Nick? Didn’t she?”

Ginger’s ears flipped back, and Nick chuckled. “She did, until that night. I knew it when I saw her watching him.” Finnick narrowed his eyes and Gingers ears lit up as Wolford cocked a brow at her. Nick shook his head and rolled his eyes. “If you had been paying attention instead of arguing with her dad, Finnick, you would have seen the look she gave him. That goofy look she had where one side of her lip tilted and all she could do was blink. She sort of stared like she was looking at something she couldn’t figure out before her eyes would dart to the side and her ears would catch fire like she was looking at something she shouldn’t have seen.” Wolford chuckled as Gingers ears flipped back and Finnick shook his head with a confused look until Nick shrugged. “She didn’t have to tell me. I knew that look, except when she looked at him, that look was so much more intense that I knew what it was. It’s the same way my father looked at my mother. Even when she was telling him off or screaming, he would sit there and look at her like she was some kind of epiphany, until he started smiling. Then she couldn’t stay angry at him anymore because his eyes would go soft and she’d cave. Ginger just didn’t meet Wolford until after I became a cop because I introduced them and then she took over the bar and renamed the place. She asked me not to say anything to him later because she knew about what happened to D.J.”

Ginger cringed. “I talked to April about him that night because Nick went home. I thought we just bumped into each other by accident.” 

Nick looked off with a frown and sighed. “We should have been paying more attention.”

Wolford blinked as he looked at Ginger and her ears fell as he started grinning. “You guys were just kits, you can’t blame yourself for that. Hell, Nick. I’m only a few years older than you guys are. I was probably only nineteen or twenty then. That was about a week before I told everyone we might as well call the place a pig sty because we were such a mess from the first two cases that happened, before D.J was….. You changed the name of the place because of that?”

The red panda was blushing furiously as Nick laughed and nodded. “Hung around me and Finnick for too long and picked up some of our habits.”

Bogo grunted as he looked at Finnick shaking his head. “You took kits into a bar?”  
Ginger scrunched her shoulders. “Ughm, my dad actually told me about what he had said. The name of the bar was Pozzaski’s because my dada was fascinated with Roman culture and that was what the name of the curse was. I grew up listening to those stories and hearing about what happened in the bar.”

Finnick scowled at Bogo and looked him over as the bull folded his arms over his chest. “What of it? I grew up in a bar. Ya think ya know me just cause I got a history, or I give two shits cause of what a flat-topper like you thinks?”

Nick’s jaw was on the floor as Bogo’s nostrils flared. “Flat- topper?”

Finnick looked at Bogo with a disappointed frown. “Means a lot of different things in different circles. Ya want to insult me like I don’t get what ya aint sayin outright? Consult the urban dictionary and ya’d get that I think you’re petty, childish, and vendictive. Ya got your head stuck in ancient history.”

Bogo curled his lip and shook his head. “I know that history sent you to prison for a few years, and people don’t change. People who have violent tendencies always have violent tendencies, like a disease. You could have gotten out on parole or took a deal if you had shown even a little remorse for it.”

Finnick looked at Nick and tilted his head to the side. “Ya wanna feel my disease?" Bogo narrowed his eyes as Finnick shook is head. "See what I mean, Nick?” He looked back at Bogo huffing and Nick handed him a coke from the table. “Funny how somethin ya did more than twelve years ago can still stick with ya cause it’s all somebody with a shallow mind can see. It don’t matter if ya paid the debt to society when it never goes away. I aint got no guilt for what I did, and I’d do it again under the same circumstances. Not everyone that’s been in trouble stays in it, or has the kind of mind that keeps goin back. Aint ya ever heard evil begets evil? Sometimes it takes violence to stop violence cause some people are just plain stupid. I aint an advocate for it. Havin that stuck on ya when that’s the only thing anyone sees keeps ya from getting a job, renting anywhere nice to live and bein able to get by. It makes other people see ya like you’re some kinda monster when they don’t know ya at all and yeah, even if you’re tryin to help other people.”

Bogo almost growled as he looked around. “I know you put someone in the hospital after following him into a dark alley.”

Nick growled and Bogo looked at him frowning. “He was following someone else, he’s been a freelance bodyguard and a private investigator most of his life, Sir. He was doing his job.” 

“So, there was more than one person and the other never came forward to back you up?” Bogo asked with a dead lock on Finnick as they glared at each other. “You think I’m buying into this joker just because he is supposedly a holy roller in with the gods?” Lionheart and Bellwether choked back remarks as Finnick held up a paw and shook his head. 

Jack and Skye cringed as Nick growled again. “Yeah there was someone else there. He was the one who made sure she didn’t get hurt that night.”

“Interesting, since you have all this evidence on the others who are here, Mr. Finnick, maybe you can tell me a name? Who was it you were working for that night and why didn’t they come forward?”

Finnick tried not to growl as looked back at Nick. "I convinced her not to say nothin to nobody. She had a family to take care of and havin that hangin over her head woulda made things worse for them when there’s people who woulda blamed her for it, people who think like you.”

Bogo shook his head looking around at everyone. “Convenient. Supposedly the guy you went to prison for was trying to harm someone else and yet you go to jail, you let him walk away to possibly harm someone else? Sounds like a load of shit to me if you were so worried about protecting anyone else and can’t provide a name.”

Finnick curled his lip in an angry sneer. “Oh, I can assure ya he didn’t walk away and will never be able to walk or run fast enough to try somethin like that again. Ya take out the knee caps the right way and it’s a done deal.”

Bogo growled and Nick sighed. “There’s no reason to keep that hidden anymore, Finnick.”

Finnick sniffed and nodded. “I guess not. Her name was Arianna Wilde.” Bogo blinked as Finnick dropped his head in an overly exuberant smile. He looked at Nick as the red fox folded his arms over his chest.

“My mother. You could have asked her about it, if everything hadn’t been hidden.” When Nick glanced at Finnick and winked, the bull and the smaller fox’s faces fell before he shrugged as everyone else looked between them. “I think that debt was paid already, Sir. Since Finnick is the one who managed to get everyone to come together like this.” Finnick chugged the drink in his paw and looked at Bogo flashing his eyes red as Judy curled around Nick.  
“Maybe.” Bogo nodded and sighed as Nick smirked….


	32. Sixteen Candles

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> New Lease's on Life

Gerald Lavert; Casanova

Olivia Newton Jon & John Travolta; The One That I Want

“HEY!” They all jerked their attention to a maned wolf who was glaring at Nick. Scruffy fur, a black tipped tail, baggy t shirt, torn jeans and about Nick’s size. “This is just grand and all but what the fuck are you supposed to be?!” The male had both thumbs in the jeans of his pockets as his lips started peeling up. “You aren’t a demon, what the hell kind of angel has a halo and doesn’t have wings?”

Wolford curled his lip and shook his head. “You’re the maned wolf?”

Nick looked at Finnick as the small fox sighed. “Everybody, this is Romeo.” He glanced at Bogo and waved a paw. “This is the one I was tellin ya about.”

Romeo snickered as he looked Nick over and scoffed. “He’s the one who tamed a demon? Turned two into one and got us all stuck here? He doesn’t even have wings and a halo isn’t anything special without the rest of it. Romeo can probably take care of all the things he’s been coming up short on.” He looked at Judy and his eyes flashed as she growled.

Nick’s teeth pulled back before he scowled. “Did you just refer to yourself in the third person? You think your hot shit, don’t you? How old are you?” 

Finnick growled as Nick stuck his paws on his hips. “Young dumb and full of…he’s young and dumb anyway. Might be full of shit, but I’m pretty sure everything else is running on empty the way he was rollin.”

The young wolf smirked, looking around as everyone shook their heads. “I’m seventeen and I am hot shit. Better than some old guys who think they can tell all of us what to do when we’re the ones that have all the power.” He looked at Finnick glaring as Nick curled his brow looking at Bogo. 

Bogo ticked his ears and watched everyone keeping their eyes between Nick and Finnick. “You brought a minor here? Did you get consent from his parents?”

Finnick flicked his eyes to the side before looking back at Chief Bogo. “He aint got none, and he’s too close to eighteen for the state to care. He’s gotten into too much trouble and the way he was going about picking people up, could have ended him in prison.”

Bogo curled his lip and narrowed his eyes on the young maned wolf. Nick looked to Judy when her eyes grew as the teen started snickering. “Your ears and tail are dyed.”

“Yeah, what of it?” Romeo asked as he looked at Nick grinning. “I heard you didn’t care much for the name Wilde. So I was using it.”

Nick was fighting not to growl as Finnick pointed behind the young wolf. “That’s J.R. He’s the oldest here and has been trying to keep an eye on Romeo while we got everything together. I found the kit in Deerbrook county, on the other side of Zootopia. J.R., show them.”

The Squirrel grabbed a package off a nearby table and tossed it on the floor. It split open and a blue shirt tumbled out with a cheap badge and a pair of black slacks. The shirt had a poor rendition of a police patch on it that would never fool someone who had any real experience in the world, and a name that had Nick balling his fists as Judy grabbed his shoulder. “He’s just a kit, Nick.”

Judy curled around Nick’s arm as the fox looked back to Bogo clenching his jaw. Bogo looked everything over frowning. “He’s too young to charge for impersonating an officer. Savalde? Mr. Finnick?” Jack and Finnick shook their heads and shrugged as they pointed back to Nick. Bogo threw his head to the side as he held out a paw. “Apparently this is your shit show, Wilde.”

Nick nodded as he stuck a finger up at the young wolf. “You might be a kit but that doesn’t mean you don’t know right from wrong. You were using my name to do all this and think this is funny? Shit usually is hot, but it stinks, and no one wants it around. Finnick, I told you to leave the Nick names to me. And you, you aren’t old enough to have any common sense, talking like that to a mated couple.”

Finnick folded his arms over his chest as Nick and Romeo glared at each other. “It aint a Nick name. Its his real name. Unfortunately, he took the names and used them to woe more than his fair share of bunnies and got himself stuck here for breaking the wrong heart with a love them and leave them attitude, in a town where everybody knew each other. He pissed off the wrong family. He thinks he can do anything and beat anyone, which is how I got him here.”

Nick looked back to him and Romeo frowned as he let the tips of his teeth show. “Are you as good as they say you are, Nick Wilde? A fox cop come to save our immortal souls? Halo and all?”

“I can’t see whatever it is you’re looking at, buts it’s no halo. I’m not a saint and never claimed to be, but maybe I can teach you some manners, at least how to treat a girl right.”

“What makes you think I can’t treat somebody right? I bet I could prove it too. I can take her.” 

Nick looked at Finnick sarcastically and back to Judy as she growled again. “You know bunnies mate for life?”

“Bunnies?” Romeo asked with a smirk as Nick lifted a brow. “I said I could take her, not that I wanted her.”

Nick cocked an eyebrow and looked at Finnick before the smaller fox waved a paw around. “I didn’t say he was chasin does, Nick. At least not many of them. He bet I was lyin about knowin you, lost when I showed him the picture of you and your mother with me when you were younger. He’s got a little bit of a problem…. with you.”

Nick looked at the uniform and his eyes widened. Uniform, fake badge, dyed fur that looks like mine, about the same height and build and he wants to take Judy- as in fight her….Young, imitation, emulation….infatuation. He looked back and found Romeo grinning at him as Judy flashed her teeth. Oh Boy.

Lionheart stepped closer to Bogo and tipped his head watching. “Why are you letting Wilde take point here? I was under the impression you dislike Mr. Finnick.”

Bogo looked back at Dawn standing with the lady in a long red cloak and Clawhauser still eyeballing her curiously. “The impression was correct. He has a criminal record along with several others here. I’m not the one funding this and neither is the city for the most part. They may be my officers, but I know how politics work. They’ve been officers long enough that I know how most of them are and how they talk to each other. I get bored and listen to them on the radio sometimes. I don’t have as much experience dealing with this kind of thing as Wilde does. I want to see how they are going to do without my influence. Savalde has plenty of agents here and I have officers if they are needed.” 

Lionheart chuckled as Dawn waved at him. “One so weathered must have wisdom.” Bogo grunted as they watched Nick stick one paw on his hip and scratch his head.

“Alright, Romeo. I’m not sure if you think you’re some kind of a Casanova or a Don Juan, but neither is a good thing to be.”

“Why not? I’ve heard you are. You got a problem with me being the way I am and liking guys more than girls?” Romeo asked and Nick watched Wolford from his peripheral vision, chuckling as he cupped a paw over his muzzle. He glanced at the wolf flat faced as Ginger giggled.

“Why is this funny, Fort?” Nick looked at him with narrowed eyes as the wolf shrugged.

“It’s a little ironic.” Wolford answered. “Almost like that full circle thing everyone always talks about.”

Nick shook his head and looked back at the young wolf who was grinning. “For one thing there is more than one version of who and what a Casanova and Don Juan are. Modern terms mean one thing, and the original names meant something entirely different. I am not a Casanova or a Don Juan and never have been, even if they thought that where you came from, it’s not true. The name Romeo is connected with people who loved each other so much they died in the saddest way possible. None of those names are what you should be trying to live up to, and neither is an impression you have picked up from rumors. You got here because you lost a bet. No one here is going to care who you are with or what gender they are as long as you respect their choices too. We have others like you in our company. But If you want to stay, you’re going to have to choose it and do one thing for me.”

Romeo narrowed his eyes as he looked around and curled his lip. “Like?”

“You want to stay, don’t lie about anything to anyone. What exactly is it you came here for? I don’t think it has anything to do with losing a bet.”

Romeo scowled as he looked at Finnick and the small fox rolled his eyes and shook his head as he waved a paw at the doors. “Ya wanna leave, take the ring off and go.” Romeo rolled the ring on his finger and gawked as he pulled it off. Finnick shrugged as he looked back at him. “Aint nobody prisoners here. You kept your end of the deal, so did I. Ya wanna leave, ya know how to get out and don’t let the door hit ya in the ass.”

Nick watched Jack nod at two mammals close to the doors in the same black suits as Skye chewed her claws. Jack shook his head slowly and Nick chose his words carefully as he folded his arms over his chest, knowing they weren’t going to let him leave. “Every choice you make is yours. You can’t go running around with that curse or you’re going to hurt someone or get hurt. You leave or stay and whatever happens is on you. The real Romeo died because his Juliet died and he couldn’t live with losing her or being the cause of her death. You’re old enough to fall in love and regardless of if your species mates for life or not, it would kill anyone to lose someone they love knowing they were responsible for it. You don’t lie to anyone about it or your intentions either. If you’re just having fun that’s fine if its mutual, but telling someone you love them like it’s a game proves you have no respect for them or yourself. Tell it like it is because that is the mark of an adult, and the mark of a male. Now why did you come here and what do you want to do?”

Romeo looked back at him holding the ring. “I came here because of you. I heard you were in love with another maned wolf, but he didn’t want you, so you were playing with rabbits. If you’re here, I want to stay.”  
Nick and Wolford glanced at each other and their ears flipped back as Nick shook his head and sighed. “Everybody talks, that’s how most people cope and survive. We vent and that’s normal but it’s just talking shit if it gets changed to something it’s not and you can’t believe everything you hear because there are always three sides to every story.”

“Three?” Romeo asked shaking his head. Nick nudged Judy and she stepped back, making her way to Jack, before she was whispering in his ear. The buck’s ears shot up as he looked around.

Bogo smirked watching the red cloaked figure lift her head, and folded his arms over his chest grinning. Jack glanced at Skye and she left, talking with an agent next to the doors as Judy took a few steps closer to Nick and stopped as he held a paw out halting her. Romeo hadn’t paid much attention to anyone but Nick as Lionheart leaned towards Bogo again, tipping a brow. “You want to explain the politics of this to me, because I don’t understand.”

The bull flicked his ears several times as Bellwether smirked. “I wonder if you should be asking your assistant Mayor, because I think she does. They have everyone gathered around them. If that kit is a demon and he can’t be stopped because he’s not wearing a ring and those agents shoot, they will scatter and its likely someone else will get shot. Control is an illusion. Someone has it only if it is given by someone else, regardless of the circumstances it can be taken away through a wild card or chaos. Savalde told me Wilde has some kind of control over Finnick and from what I’ve gathered he’s the most dangerous one out of all of them. I will give the Devil his due for the simple reason that he managed to bring them all together and has given Wilde the lead here. Savalde seems to agree. They can’t ask anyone to move away without the possibility of it upsetting that kit or making him suspicious. Hopps moving away from Wilde and him telling her to stay away is something that kit will either see as weakness on her part or strength on his.”

Everyone perked their ears towards Nick as he sighed. “Yes. Three sides to every story. People always say there are two sides to every story, but somewhere in the middle is usually the truth because we can’t see it if we’re in it. We forget things, remember things wrong and it’s not intentional most of the time. What really happened changes every time someone tells it and it turns into rumors when it keeps getting told by others who weren’t there. If you listen to all the things people put in your head, you can’t hear your own voice and you might believe a lot of things that have turned into lies and are misleading when it’s not coming from the horse’s mouth. I hope you are as intelligent as I think you are considering what you have been doing, and you’re smart enough to take some advice. My partner is a wolf and he’s my best friend. He’s the one who was in love with a maned wolf named D.J. and she passed away before we really met. I had another girlfriend who was a rabbit, but I wasn’t playing with her or the one I’m with now. Red foxes mate for life, just like rabbits. Carrots is my life mate. You were doing all these things because you thought I was someone I’m not. You believed all the stories that got twisted into something they’re not. There is a difference between admiration, infatuation, and love. Obsession is entirely different. I think you might be a little confused about how you feel because you don’t even know me.”

“I’m not confused about anything and I can prove it.” He looked at Judy growling and Nick stepped between them as the doe started a low whistle and shook his head.

“Carrots.” A side glance from him and her ears dropped, pinning to her head as she shifted her eyes and stopped the threat every canine in the room had heard. Nick looked back at Romeo watching him looking at her stunned. “You want to fight for someone? For Love? Why? Did you ever have two people fighting over you?” Nick raised his head as the young wolf smirked. “You let them fight over you? Did you love one of them?” Nick scowled as Romeo smiled. “Did it do either of them any good? Did it change how you felt about either one of them?” Romeo dropped the smug grin as Nick nodded. “I didn’t think so. Love is not worth dying for like the first Romeo did, or for any other reason. It should never be used against someone. It’s not a reason to live, it’s not a reason to die, it’s not something to fight for or let someone fight for. At least not like this. Not when you know it’s not going to change a damn thing, least of all someone’s heart or how you feel about them. If you love someone who loves someone else, you let them go. You accept it, let them do whatever it is they need to do to be happy and you live to fight another day. That is what love is.” 

“You don’t believe me? Then there’s no reason for me to be here.” Romeo dropped the ring and his head as Nick cringed.

“I didn’t say I didn’t believe you. I said I think you’re confused, and you don’t know me. I don’t know you either. You can’t love someone if you aren’t even friends. You can be infatuated or a little obsessed if you are imitating them. As for being confused, that I understand because she confuses the hell out of me.” He pointed to Judy and shook his head as she stood there in tears. “Does that make any sense to you? I mean she knows I love her! Why the hell is she crying? I have no clue!”

“You liar.” Judy giggled as she wiped off her face.

Nick shrugged as he looked at Finnick. “There are other, better reasons to stay, Romeo. Look around. Finnick?”

Finnick chuckled as Romeo lifted his ears. “Officers, raise a paw as I call ya. This is Fangmeyer, Wolford, his mate Ginger. That’s Agent Jack Savalde and Agent Skye Winter. The armadillo standing over there is Deputy Director of affairs for the Z.B.I., Agent Armada. She’ll be runnin the building and they can introduce ya to the other agents. That’s Chief Bogo over there standing with Mayor Lionheart and the assistant mayor, Dawn Bellwether. Clawhauser is standing over there. Those two who just came in are Delgato and Snarlov.”

Nick turned and flinched as Snarlov smacked his shoulder. “I didn’t think you two were going to make it.”

Delgato chuckled as he stepped beside Fangmeyer and Snarlov looked around smiling. “We had to come meet the new crew. Find out how many more bitches you got and introduce ourselves to the new H- Ugg!” Snarlov clutched his ribs after Nick jarred him with an elbow.

Nick smirked as Snarlov glared at him playfully. “We aren’t familiar with anyone here and they might not be comfortable with certain things. Until we know everybody you are all my chicks.”

Wolford smirked as he looked at Ginger. “Chicks, Hu?” 

Nick nodded as he looked around, watching everyone keeping an eye on them. “Yeah and I don’t want to hear another peep until everyone is comfortable around each other.”

“PEEP!” Ginger stuck her nose in the air and Nick narrowed his eyes when she chirped again. “PEEP! PEEP!”

Several people watching were snickering and the fox shook his head laughing after everyone followed her lead. All the officers were chuckling between each ‘peep’ they shot at Nick. 

Finnick shook his head as he pointed at several others standing around. “They’re all goofy, but the others are Jack’s agents.”

They each raised a paw nodding and Romeo scrunched his muzzle. “Cops and the Z.B.I are working together? With city officials? What is this some kind of secret agent thing or a trap!”

Nick chuckled as he looked around catching several of them covering their mouths and Jack gave him a nod. “Something like that. The secret agent thing.”

“Really?” the young wolf asked turning to Jack as he nodded.

“One of the reasons to stay, you should introduce everyone else, Finnick.” Jack stuffed his paws in his pockets, trying to bite back his smile as Romeo’s ears shot up.

“Hosts!” Finnick waved a paw towards himself and everyone who had been watching stood taller. “This is Thelma and Loise.” A red vixen tipped her head as a timid bunny stood next to her. “J.R. ya already know.” The red flying squirrel tipped his ears as several others stepped forward. “Them two is Bucky and Pronk. The red lynx is Lydia. Nick calls her Carrots, but her name is Judy Hopps. Ya can see what everyone else is. The gray fox is Ted. Red foxes are Zack, Robert, Bill, Aaron, and Brenda is the red panda behind the table over there. They all got the same problem you got. If ya decide to stay, ya can meet their mates when everybody is comfortable and feels safe here. Ya know what Nick wants, but if ya stay, ya gotta wear the ring.”

“Why?” Romeo asked as he looked back to Finnick.

“Cause I can’t keep ya from changin. Ya wear the ring and I can keep your demon from hurtin anybody. They got free will just like you and everybody else, but they aint strong enough to fight against what they was sent here for without my help. You’re lucky I found ya right after ya got cursed and ya didn’t hurt nobody. That curse don’t just work on people ya love, it works on anyone ya want. Ya find someone ya want and love, they get a ring so ya can’t hurt them in case I aint around.”

Romeo looked back to Nick frowning as Judy curled around his arm. “I’m taken. She’s Fire and I’ll sing it if I have to make a point. I love her. Is that going to stop you? You aren’t interested in possibly being part of an elite government force? Working with the ‘feds, cops, city’ and ha-

“That’s not official, Wilde.” Jack barked as he glared at the fox.

“Yet!” Bellwether chimed in and Lionheart laughed when Jack sneered at her.

“It’s never going to be official, even if it’s official. Is it, Jack?” Nick asked bouncing his brow and Jack sighed as Skye bit her lip.

The buck smirked as he looked at Nick and back to Judy. “Your shirts are advertising its official.”

“Yeah, get your shit together, Nick, You better shape up.” Nearly everyone gawked at Judy as she giggled, knowing bunnies didn’t generally use that kind of language.

Nick looked at her with narrowed eyes. “Some part of me will shape up for you.”

Judy growled and he snickered when she thumped her foot on the floor grinning. “The rest of you better get in line, keep me satisfied so I know my faith is in the right place. My heart is set on you and to my heart I must be true.”

Nick looked off to the side with a sneaky smile and shook his head. “I can prove it, I’ll keep you walking on the wild side.”

Judy stuck her lip out and scrunched her nose. “Walking? I thought we could do the mamba for a while.” Wolford covered his eye hissing as Nick tried not to laugh. “Are you really going to sing for me?” Judy asked smiling and Nick laughed as her foot speed thumped the floor faster.

“I know Grease is your favorite movie and you are the one that I want, but right now there is nothing left for me to do but make one thing clear.” He looked at Finnick as the small fox chuckled. “We can dance together when we’re alone. I can even make sure you are ‘singing’, but if you think I’m breaking into song and dancing around like this is a musical, Carrots- You. Are. Out. Your. Damn. Mind. Saying I will sing was just an expression. Sitting around, holding paws, and singing Kumbaya, Never. Going. To. Happen. This is not a Disney cartoon…..”

“I don’t know, I like breaking into song now and then. If I’m going to be hanging around you guys once in a while, you should probably get used to it.” Dawn stepped closer to Lionheart giggling as the red cloaked figure walked through the little crowd and dropped her cape, letting it hit the floor. She stood in a pair of dark blue jeans and a bright red fuzzy sweater that hugged her curves as she looked around.

Romeo, along with everyone else let their jaws drop as Gazelle flipped her bangs off her eye and giggled. Finnick chuckled as he watched the young wolf grab the ring off the floor and shove it back on his finger. Every ear pinned back as Clawhauser squealed and they looked at him as he pointed at her with wide eyes. “THE ANGEL WITH HORNS! I’M YOUR BIGGEST FAN! I’D KNOW THAT VOICE ANYWHERE!” Nick cupped a paw over his mouth as the large cheetah’s eyes rolled back, before he crumpled. Delgato was hissing as him and Snarlov started fanning Clawhauser and trying to get him off the floor. 

Finnick laughed as Gazelle stuck a paw on her hip and looked around in one of her signature expressions. “Ya all know Gazelle, the lady is also our benefactor and footing most of our expenses until we can stand on our own.”

“I’ll be helping with that bit. I have everything here I need to get you all new names and identities for this. You just have to pick the names.” Nick turned grinning as Duke walked to the table and sat a brief case down. 

“Mr. Anderson. Nice to see you on the right side of things.” He shot as Duke looked back at him with a sneaky smile.

Duke looked around tipping his eyes between everyone and stopped on the lynx, giving her a funny look as Nick chuckled. She was wearing a bright red Christmas sweater and a pair of pants that had Easter baskets all over them, along with a clover pin on her chest and several heart bracelets that jingled on her wrists. He motioned for her to step closer and waited until she was at the opposite side of the table before looking back at Nick. “Not all of them need new names. They can pick them out or I can. Any of you got any idea what you want to be known as?” He looked at the red lynx as her ears tilted back. 

Nick smirked as he examined her attire. “You have a thing for Easter and Christmas?”  
She shook her head as she flicked her ears and sent several little bells in her ears ringing from the jewelry she was wearing. “No, I just like holidays. Everybody forgets about everything on most of them and acts the way they always should.”  
“How about…Holly Daize?” the cat lit up nodding as Nick watched, and turned finding Judy giggling. Duke chuckled as the vixen and bunny came to the table. “This is Thelma and Loius.” Duke looked them over and nodded, watching the bunny hiding herself behind the vixen. “Anything in mind?” He asked and the vixen shook her head before smiling at the doe behind her. “What do you think of Mary Dudley and Elizabeth Queen? You know who they were?”  
The vixen looked back at Nick smiling and tipped her head as she nodded. “I’ll take it, if she’s the queen.” Nick chuckled as the doe clutched her arm and looked up at her with furled brows. She gently moved the bunny and pulled her aside as Nick looked around and asked who was next.   
The red squirrel stepped up and cocked his head back as he folded his arms over his chest. Nick raised his brows as the older male smirked. “Red.”  
“And?” Nick asked grinning as the older male snickered and shrugged. “Snoopy or Barron.” Duke laughed as he punched the name in and nodded. Nick motioned to the others and flicked his ears watching Delgato and Snarlov still trying to get Clawhauser to wake up. Gazelle kept watching twisting her fingers as Romeo stayed locked onto her with his nose twitching. Nick cocked his head as he left the table and narrowed his eyes as the mane wolf stepped closer sniffing the air. Gazelle turned and flipped her bangs as she motioned to the back of the room. Romeo turned and Nick tipped his head at Judy as the young red wolf froze. A large white tiger had come up behind him trying to reach Gazelle’s and he froze as the cat looked down at him and smiled.  
The tiger with black stripes flipped his ears up as the young wolf took a step back as if he’d been hit by a truck. Gazelle giggled as the tiger grabbed his shirt and kept him from falling over. “Amante should watch his step.”  
Romeo stammered several times until he caught Nick grinning and scowled. “My name isn’t...what did you call me!?”  
“He called you, Lover.” Nick smiled as the wolf’s ears pinned back looking at the tiger who had tipped his head grinning. Romeo blinked as the cat’s ears tipped forward and looked back at Nick frowning. “Who the hell is he and why is he here?”

“He is my guest and a very good friend.” Gazelle shot as she stepped closer and looked between them. “Consider yourself fortunate. He isn’t friendly with many people.”

Romeo shook himself as he backed away with a sneer and Nick watched Duke packing up his brief case before he was shaking paws with Jack and Skye. Judy stepped closer and curled around him as he frowned. “He’s leaving?”

“He’ll be back. A few of them weren’t ready or didn’t know wat they wanted to be called yet. He took all their pictures for the I.D.s and got all the information he needed though.”

Nick nodded as he stuck his paw on his hips. “OK People, we need to get things back together here!”

Jack looked around sighing as several of them broke off into little conversation. Nick looked at Finnick and he shrugged. They both set their ears as a thundering growl shot everyone’s attention to the center of the room again.

Gazelle turned and many of them gasped when she flashed her eyes a demon’s red. Between the commotion of her catching their attention and watching Delgato and Snarlov help get Clawhauser to his feet, no one noticed Bucky and Pronk arguing in the back of the little crowd. With the exception of Finnick, who blatantly screamed; “GET THE HELL OUTTA THE WAY!” 

Jack’s ears shot up as several panicked screams rounded through the crowd. He watched as his agents pulled weapons while everyone scattered. Bucky and Pronk both had a grip on each other’s shoulders as a flash of heat rolled through the room, with them being the central point. Gazelle turned shaking her head as Judy tried to jump around her. Nick caught Judy by the arm, and she knocked into Gazelle who tumbled into Clawhauser’s chest. Both of them fell back to the floor and she giggled as he looked up at her with bright red ears, completely starstruck. “You’re the biggest cheetah I have ever seen. I really love big cats.” Her eyes flashed red and Clawhauser gulped.

Nick was growling as Judy kept trying to jerk away from him, while the agents were aiming at the ball of flames that had taken over one side of the room. The officers were moving everyone out of harm’s way when Nick shook his head at Judy. “Can you change, Carrots?!”

Judy froze and shook her head. “Not being this close to you and it would take time.”

Nick looked back watching Jack directing the agents like traffic. Skye stood behind him watching everything with wide eyes. It was the roar that set everyone’s ears on end and had them scrambling back as Finnick’s deep voice resonated louder than the three headed dog that sprang up where he once stood. “Holy Fuck.” Nick muttered as they all craned their necks to look up at him.

Fangmeyer stood in front of several mammals who were wearing rings and laughed, causing Nick to look at her like she was possessed herself. “You have no idea.” Nick rolled his eyes and they popped open as a massive thump lifted everyone off the floor. 

Finnick had pulled the two demons apart and had one under each front paw, three heads growling at them as all his teeth flashed. “THOUGHTLESS CRETIN’S! I’ll take ya somewhere ya can kill each other, but don’t be doin stupid shit around anyone else! YA WANNA KILL EACH OTHER OR SHOULD I DO IT FOR YA?!”

Bucky and Pronk had both become red furless demons that looked at each other from under Finnick’s paws and dipped their heads growling. “No.” they both answered with tight lips.

“WILDE!” Bogo screamed as he curled a lip. “GET YOUR SHIT TOGETHER!”

The fox sighed and Jack shook his head at several agents. Finnick looked around snarling while the other two canines kept their teeth bore at the demons under his paws.

“FINNICK! LET THEM UP! WE WILL NEVER GET ANYWHERE LIKE THIS!” Nick screamed. He jolted as all three heads snapped to him with their teeth showing, glaring through glowing red eyes as horns sprouted above each of the three headed dog’s eyes.

“I can literally bite your face off!” He growled lowly with Nick trying not to frown.

Judy clutched his arm and Nick tilted slightly as she shook her head. “Nick, that’s not Finnick anymore. That’s Cer-

“CERBERUS! SIT!” Cerberus yelped as his rear hit the ground and blinked as Nick narrowed his eyes and started grinning. “Paws off.” The beast’s front paws slid away from Bucky and Pronk and Nick took a step closer as Bucky and Pronk stood frowning at each other. “Turn it off.” 

They both looked at him tipping their brows and shook their heads. “It doesn’t work that way.” Bucky growled as Pronk rolled his eyes. 

“You think I believe that shit?” Nick asked in a disgusted face. “All of you who have a demon, would you come up here please?” They all wondered a little closer, keeping an eye on Cerberus as he watched with an angry frown. “All of you, turn it on. Don’t tell me you can’t. All you have to do is think about the person you want. The demon you have is part of you, if you accept it and it accepts you. Carrots, show them.”   
Judy took several steps away from Nick until she felt a pull that had her teeth aching. They watched her shiver several times as she curled her arms around herself, gaping as she burst into flames. Nick chuckled as several of them jumped. “If it’s that easy to turn on, then it can be turned off just as quickly. If you’re shy, close your eyes.” They all glanced around at each other before some looked up at the ceiling, and others closed their eyes. Several burst into flames as the officers and agents stepped away shielding themselves from the heat….


	33. Final Curtain

Rachel Platten; Stand By You

The Tenors; Lean on Me

Richard Marx and Donna Lewis; At the Beginning

Nick watched smiling as the ones who had shifted gaped at each other with curious expressions. Finnick had taken an interest in Gazelle, who was eyeballing Clawhauser like a predator looking at freshly carved snake venison. Nick looked up at him and back to Bucky and Pronk smirking. “Don’t worry if you can’t change the first time. It took a while for Carrots to figure it out. You have to have confidence that the one you are with will accept things the way they are, and they have to believe it too. Cerberus, change back to Finnick.”

“Aww,” Fangmeyer cooed as Cerberus turned his heads to her. “I love my giant horn dog!”

Nick was hissing and trying not to explode as Cerberus’ tail wagged. He looked at Judy and spoke under his breath as she bit her lip. “I think he’s screwed. She’s already got a different kind of collar on him, he just doesn’t know it yet.”

“Hang on a minute!” Bucky growled shaking his head and pointing to Judy. “How come she still looks like herself, just without fur and a different tail. Where’s her wings?”

Cerberus rolled his eyes as several ears shot up. “A demon will become part of you and take your form if ya both agree to it. They aint got no physical body in the underworld and will look like whatever will scare the hell out of the first person who sees them here is most afraid of. They only have wings if the host has really been in love and has experience in certain…fields. The only reason any of ya will have eyes is because of them rings.” The little fox watched them all looking at each other until their eyes were swinging back and forth between Judy and Gazelle, who was half hidden behind Clawhauser. 

Romeo threw his arms up. “Fields? Like rabbit fields? You’re telling me, those two have never been with… anybody before?”

Judy shrugged. “I gave up my wings, Romeo. I don’t need them to feel like I’m flying when I’m with him anyway.” Judy giggled and Nick looked at her grinning as he chuckled. 

“For him?” Romeo asked.

Nick bounced his brows. “You’re damn Skippy, she did.” Nick looked back to the young maned wolf with a contemplative look. “Romeo isn’t a good name. Got a problem with a Nick name? Since you were hop, jumping, and skipping all over the place, Skippy?”

Nick chuckled as Romeo looked off grinning and nodded before he pointed to Gazelle. “Did she give up her wings too?”

They all glanced at Gazelle as she stepped out from behind Clawhauser scrunching her nose. “I’ve never had wings, of any kind. I was hoping he could fix that.” She stuck her arm on Clawhauser’s shoulder and ran a finger around one of his ears as every face fell, and Finnick fell over laughing as the cheetah fainted again.

Bellwether and Lionheart chuckled before they tipped their heads to Bogo. The little sheep held a paw out and Bogo shook it, cocking his head to one side. “He may have control over Cerberus, but I think you know you have more influence than you’re letting on. Let us know how things are going in the reports. Jack has our mission statement and program possibilities.” Bogo shook paws with Lionheart and tipped his head watching them leave, sighing as he looked back and found half of them a furless red, with horns, hooves and claws. 

Nick folded his arms over his chest as Skye stayed clutching Jack. The buck was looking around grinning as Nick nodded. “It might take some time to figure it out. Hey, Finnick?” The small fox ticked one cheek in a grin when Nick looked back and found him standing a few feet from him, back to himself again. “How did you keep Carrots from changing?”

“Most people just gotta imagine the least appealin thing in the world.”

“HRK!” Everyone looked back at Judy cringing as she gagged, and Finnick laughed. 

“I’ll explain it to ya later.” Finnick looked at Jack and the buck nodded after glancing at his watch. “It’s gettin late and we still got a few things to settle. Those of ya who are in your rooms can head back. Bucky, Pronk, and Judy, Ms. Armada will show ya to your rooms- after you two get the rings on.”

The two males scowled as Romeo twirled the one on his finger and sighed. “I don’t get how these things help if you can’t keep it from happening.”

Finnick tossed rings to Bucky and Pronk, watching their teeth pull back. “Ya ever heard of heaven on Earth, kit?” Romeo nodded and Finnick looked back to Bucky and Pronk as their ears set. “Then I’m sure ya heard of Hell on earth. There aint no Heaven, and there aint no Hell. This world is what ya make of it. Heaven or Hell, on Earth. I got a room here where I can keep an eye on everyone. Rules aint no different for you two. Ya gotta wear the rings or ya can’t stay.” 

Bucky and Pronk rolled their eyes as Finnick shook his head. “Ya can leave anytime ya like just like anyone else, just come and find me if ya want to take the rings off again.” 

“Technically that’s not true.” Gazelle chirped as Jack stood straighter. “If you try to leave you will be placed in protective custody for public safety. I insisted, but it is your choice.”

Pronk growled as Bucky curled his lip. “Right- Want to tell me there’s no conspiracy theories that are real again?”

Jack shrugged and nodded. “Mayor Loinheart, Assistant Mayor Bellwether, and Ms. Gazelle may be pulling the strings here, but they are the only reasons all of you aren’t already in custody for that very reason. We either work together as a group or we don’t.”

Bucky and Pronk almost groaned slipping the rings on their fingers and watching them shrink to fit. “Then why isn’t she wearing a ring?!”

Finnick looked at Judy as Bucky pointed and rolled his eyes. “Technically, she is. It’s just not on her finger. It’s in her ear.”

Judy stepped closer to Nick nodding and laughed as Clawhauser stood. Assisted by Delgato and Snarlov again. “Is this the end of the story, Nick?” Judy turn back to herself as she got closer and wrapped his arm around her when she leaned into his chest. 

“No, Carrots.” The fox looked around grinning as everyone kept an eye on the pair and shook his head as she curled around him purring. “I know you’ve all felt trapped and might feel that way still. You aren’t alone anymore. Believe me when I say this will be a journey you’ll never forget. This may be the end of the story you once started, but it’s the beginning of something new. Something better. We will be here to help you and your mates every step of the way.”

Fangmeyer took a seat in a chair not far from Finnick, waiting while Jack and Skye directed everyone to the right doors. Nick watched Romeo (Skippy) flick his ears back as the white tiger held the door open and almost bowed his head as the wolf scowled and moved closer to Nick and Judy. Ms. Armada walked to Judy holding out a keyring. “Room 712. Don’t lose your key.” She left taking a stand next to the elevator as the tiger waited.

Nick watched Gazelle grinning as she bit her lip and raised a brow as she giggled. “What’s up with him? He’s not an officer or an agent. Why is he here?”

She shrugged as she looked around. “He’s always been there for me and already knew about how I am. He was one of the few guys I’ve met who wasn’t interested in me for anything except my talents. We know all of each other’s secrets.”

Nick looked at Judy smirking. “Well its no secret he likes that little want to be Casanova. What do you think, Amante?” he asked Judy before she snatched him. One long kiss and Finnick rolled his eyes, his face falling flat as Gazelle giggled again. Clawhauser was standing in front of her, stargazing. He rubbed her ears between his finger and thumb as if he needed to touch her to confirm she was real. 

The horned doe caught Finnick watching like he had just had a revelation as Pronk held a paw to his mouth. “Does this mean we can? Just because they are….”

Finnick narrowed his eyes snickering and nodded. “I suppose if you’re wearin the rings then there might be some kind of connection that’ll keep things from getting too hot if they are around when they are together. Gazelle aint wearin one and them two just bein together seems to be enough to keep her from changin.”

Nick and Judy looked between them and Clawhauser as Gazelle chewed her lip and played with Clawhauser’s ears again. “Whatever is happening- I want no part of it. I’m telling all of you, none of you are going to be shifting to your demon forms unless you are with Finnick training, or trying to learn how to control yourselves.”

Finnick lifted a brow, grinning as those who had become a demon shifted back to their forms examining their fingers, fur and claws in complete awe.

Romeo Scoffed. “Like you just saying that is going to change it? This place looks like hell!”

Nick looked back to Judy and sighed. “Another reason to stay, ‘Skippy’. Everyone here is hurting. You all have unique stories about how you got here, but you will never be alone. We will stand by each other.”

Judy smiled as she looked around. “We found a way to break through this curse. I couldn’t do it alone. If we can’t find heaven, we will walk through hell together.”

Finnick tipped his head to Bucky and Pronk and the pair looked at each other before the kudu grabbed is chosen and locked in a kiss that had Bucky’s ears tipping just before he melted in Pronk’s grasp with his eyes rolling to the ceiling. Finnick snickered as they came apart and flicked a ring on his collar. “Want to doubt him bein able to stop it from happenin again as long as you got them rings on?”

“Yep, tre magnifique and super creepy.” Nick griped and Delgato laughed causing him to narrow his eyes on the large Lion.

Fangmeyer giggled as Nick glared between her and Delgato as the lion shrugged. “You’ve been telling everyone for years you’re the only person who could get anyone wet. It looks like it might be true.”

Nick scrunched his shoulders and cringed. “Yeah, really not wanting to be part of that or understand how it works.” he grumbled as he grabbed Judy’s paw and dragged her to the elevator. Romeo and J.R. left with the tiger and another agent. Bogo tipped his head at Jack who gave him a slight nod before he left heading for home. “Hey Chief?” Bogo looked back at Nick and the fox smirked. “Don’t make Mrs. Beesly keep asking.”

The bull scrunched his brow and narrowed his eyes. “Asking what?”

“Where’s the beef?”

Jack tipped a brow and chuckled as Bogo rolled his eyes and left. Him and Skye walked after Nick and Judy with Finnick, Bucky and Pronk. Finnick stepped into the elevator behind them with Fangmeyer and Ms. Armada, waiting for the tigress to press the button and looked back into the room watching Clawhauser with his jaw on the floor. The cheetah was pointing at Gazelle as she grabbed his tie and pulled, tugging him with her.

Finnick laughed as the doors started closing and glanced between them and Nick and Judy as they kissed again. “Ya better get while the getting’s good.” The doors closed with Clawhauser’s face falling into absolute bliss as Gazelle giggled with him following her like his feet weren’t touching the ground. The small fox laughed as they stopped on a floor where Ms. Armada showed them their rooms. After leaving Bucky and Pronk, Jack proceeded to show them the rest of the complex. Ms. Armada left them as they entered the courtyard behind the building. Nick stopped with Judy, eyeballing Finnick as he watched Fangmeyer pouncing around in the courtyard, chasing some unseen bug. “You’re going to think about that.”

Finnick looked back at Nick frowning. “No, I aint. Cats aint monogamous and neither are fennec foxes.”

Nick smirked as Finnick turned, grinning slowly as the large tigress jumped over a hedge. “You’re going to think about it though, because she is.” Finnick rolled his eyes as they started walking again.

Nick was taking in the scenery as Judy kept hold on to one of his pinkies. “Nice. Hidden from all the other buildings. You think it was wise letting Gazelle tell them they would be stuck in jail if they chose not to stay? You know that could cause problems later, Jack.”

Jack ticked his head looking around. “Eccentric millionaire as far as the building goes. It didn’t take too long to get the place up to code again. Bellwether and Lionheart thought it would be nice so anyone here could also come outside and still have some privacy. Gazelle agreed. She actually did us a favor telling everyone that.” Nick expressed his disbelief with an incredulous glare and Jack shrugged. “If for some reason someone has to be hauled away and anyone else here doesn’t like it or agree it was necessary, they will blame her before they do the agency.” Nick nodded as he looked around the courtyard.

The area was as wide as the building, an open space with tall trees, fenced in with wrought iron. The four windowless walls that encased the space were all portions of apartment building that held no windows. Thick bushes and winding paths made the small garden area seem much longer due to the landscaping and how the plants blocked the view by being placed at strategic places. They walked to a small bridge and Nick looked at Jack with a sour face and shook his head. “The way this place is set up it looks a lot bigger, but I can also see there are no exits from out here.”

Finnick sighed as Jack shrugged. “You knew as soon as that Kit threatened to leave, he wouldn’t be able to. This wasn’t a condition of the agency, Wilde, but it is one we believe should be enforced.” Nick looked at Finnick after Jack did. 

The small fox shrugged. “Gazelle insisted. She said she would boot most of the expenses if they would make sure everyone stayed safe. I think her exact words were no one was changing the Zootopia she loves and if predator and prey could live together here, so could anyone else.” 

“HEY NICK!”

Nick looked to the right and waved as Wolford and Ginger stood on a small bridge overlooking a little stream.

Jack and Skye walked up the side of the bridge with Finnick, stepping aside as Fangmeyer jumped up and landed on the opposite side. The tigress tipped her head to one side, smiling as he chuckled.

Judy stepped in front of Nick chewing her lip. “So, do you want to stay here with me tonight?”

Nick scoffed as he shook his head. “That room they gave you isn’t even big enough to be a broom closet, Carrots. I’m pretty sure it may have been a bathroom or a pantry at one time.”

“I love it.” Judy grinned, and Nick chuckled as he watched Jack talking to Wolford.

“No, I’m not staying the night, Carrots. I think you’ll be alright without me here.”

“You think I will be alright without you? What about you? You aren’t wanting for anything?” Judy smirked as Nick’s brow dropped. She curled her brows in a sneaky smile and his eyes widened as she jumped.

“WAIT! HEHEHE… DAMN IT, CARROTS, OH GODS!”

Skye shook her head as Nick fell into a bush when Judy jumped on him. She turned shaking her head as Wolford and Ginger stood snickering. “Jack,” Skye hissed as he cocked his head to one side. “Don’t watch them when they are….” She turned looking back as Jack’s brows lifted. Wolford hit his knees hissing as they both turned on a dime with their ears and cheeks on fire.

Jack shook his head as he looked back at Skye. “I didn’t even know that was possible.”

He glanced at Finnick sitting on the other side of the bridge and Finnick snickered. “All kinds of things are possible.” 

Finnick turned as he was sprayed, and flinched when Fangmeyer stood from the small stream she had been running through. The tigress rested her head on the brick side Finnick was sitting on and purred as he smirked at her. “I’m going to snatch you up and make you mine.”

The small fox shot her a sinister grin and shook his head. “I’m thinkin about it…. Oh shit, I’m really thinkin about it!” Finnick’s face fell as he face palmed.

Wolford rolled over laughing and pointed a finger. “Oh Snap.”

“Exactly.” Fangmeyer purred as she jumped down and giggled, swinging her tail back and forth as she walked back up the stream and looked back seeing Finnick eyeballing her with a half stunned expression. He jerked as Jack stepped closer and cleared his throat.

“Ah Hem? You said we would be talking about what I wanted?” 

Finnick looked at the buck and watched Skye’s eyes set as he nodded. “Ya aint all bunny so it’s possible. I think it’s a little stupid given the position you’re in and the position you’d be in if you have it. Ya gonna have a problem with how this is set up if ya get it?”

“No.” Jack answered as Finnick nodded.

“I can’t help ya with that. But if ya go to Bunny Burrow, look up Celia Hopps. She might be able to give ya what ya want.” 

Skye curled her brow as Jack started whistling and walking away. “Jack? What do you want?” she curled her nose as Wolford cackled again and her eyes widened as Finnick chuckled. “Hopps?.....OH NO! JACK, DON’T YOU EVEN THINK ABOUT IT! I CAN BARELY HANDLE YOU NOW AND I AM NOT DEALING WITH A REAL SAVAGE!” The buck started walking at a faster pace and looked back at her with a wicked grin before he took off, laughing. Skye’s teeth curled up as she bolted after him. “JACK! YOU GET BACK HERE!”

Wolford was in tears when Finnick jumped down, chasing after Fangmeyer. He froze as Ginger stepped over him and blinked as the last part of her long skirt pulled away from his face and looked at her as she giggled. “You aren’t wearing any….” 

“I bet the Gods can’t have as much fun as we do here.” The little red panda waved her tail back and forth, laughing as he jumped up and curled around her. Both their ears set as Nick started screaming again. 

“CARROTS! I’LL STAY! WE NEED TO GO BACK TO YOUR APARTMENT! JUST WAIT A ….” Wolford and Ginger watched two dark red paws jet out from the bushes, clutching at grass as he laughed again. “HEHEHE! OOF!” The wolf pressed both paws to his eyes laughing again as Nick was pulled back into the growling. “OH GODS!”

Fangmeyer and Finnick had made their way back inside as Wolford and Ginger stepped back into the building waiting for Nick and Judy. Wolford looked back to the door shaking his head as Ginger looked at her watch. “Jake, you know we don’t need to stay. Finnick has this whole floor and he’ll know if anyone leaves. Plus, Jack has agents watching everything.”

“We stayed at Snarlov’s for so long before I found the other apartment that I guess it’s just a habit I’m going to have to get out of. It’s just kind of weird, I guess. Not keeping an eye on him.” Wolford agreed as she stood from the wall.

“I’ve got some things you can keep an eye on.” Ginger giggled when Wolford growled at her. They both jumped as Finnick barreled down the hallway screaming.

“GET OUT OF THE WAY!”

Wolford caught a flash of red and jumped with Ginger as a ball of flames shoved past them into the courtyard with Finnick in hot pursuit. They stepped out watching Nick and Judy walk up on the bridge holding paws as Finnick slammed into the ball of fire and knocked it into the stream. The fox and bunny gaped as the fire was doused, looking back at a slack jawed Wolford and Ginger as they gawked at the red furless version of Gazelle Finnick was leering at. He grabbed his collar and tossed her one of the rings when she sighed and looked back at the door she had come through. “Ya both in agreement with this?” he asked as she rolled over and tried to stand. The demon stuck her fisted paw to her chest bowing her head as Clawhauser stuck his head out the door, looking around cautiously. “HEY, CAT! CLAWHAUSER!”

The cheetah stepped out with everyone there tipping a brow as Finnick yanked another ring off his collar and tossed it at him. Gazelle stood up and shook all the water off, jolting as a pair of black wings shot from her back. 

Wolford shook his head looking at Clawhauser. “Oh- my- Gods….She has wings now-Did you two?” Wolford mumbled as he looked back and found Clawhauser’s ears pinned to his head. 

Gazelle stepped out of the water and looked them over before grinning ear to ear as she stuck one paw on her hip and flipped her bangs out of her face. “I am way too old to keep the status I had and still young enough to dive in headfirst. That guy definitely knows what he is doing!” She fanned herself trying to keep her tongue in her mouth and Clawhauser scratched behind his neck as his cheeks lit up. 

Wolford looked between her and Clawhauser perplexed. “Why did she become a demon if Nick and Judy being together was keeping it from happening to everyone else before?”

Finnick smirked as he looked back at Nick shaking his head. “With or without a ring it would just happen because that’s the way it works. She either got too far away from them, or he got her too excited.” 

Nick chuckled as Judy cupped a paw over her muzzle. “There is a reason I call him Ben-G. He’s no cat- He’s a dog. Clawhauser, you dog you.” Gazelle shifted back into her fur and Clawhauser chewed his lip when they all snickered. “Does this mean you are staying, Gazelle?” Nick asked, watching Clawhauser looking over the ring Finnick had tossed to him.

“I may not have a choice.” She shook her head and slid next to Clawhauser as he took his shirt off and draped it over her shoulders. “Such a Gentlemale.” She giggled watching his ears flush. “I can’t stay. As much as I’d love too, I’m on tour right now. But I’m not going to be able to carry on long without getting back here. If he’ll have me.”

“Have you?” Clawhauser asked blinking. 

Gazelle snickered as she nodded with a paw over her mouth. “I’d love to be yours. I’ll be your biggest fan.”

Clawhauser gulped as she stuck the ring on his finger and giggled as she put the one Finnick had thrown to her on her own paw. His eyes rolled back, sending him to the floor again, wearing a smile fit for a bandit. “Ya both wear the rings and neither of ya get hurt.” Finnick chuckled as Fangmeyer stepped out the door and walked closer, helping him back to his feet as she laughed. “They’ll keep ya from havin problems as long as ya wear them.”

Clawhauser swooned and scrunched his nose at Gazelle as he sat up when she started singing. “I might have a problem that you’ll understand.” 

Nick smacked a paw to his face when Judy giggled. “Oh, she had to pick that song to break into, didn’t she? If you people think I’m singing- You. Got. Me. Fucked. Up.”

“Come on Nick…” Judy bounced her brows and started singing with Gazelle. “Some-times in our lives, we all have pain, we all have sorrow. But if we are wise, we know that there’s always tomorrow. Lean on me when you’re not strong, and I’ll be your friend, I’ll help you cry on. For it won’t be long, before I’m going to need somebody to lean on. Please swallow your pride if I have things you need to borrow. For none can fill those of your needs that you don’t let show.” The fox narrowed his eyes as Clawhauser joined her and Gazelle, with Wolford and Ginger clapping their paws. Nick shook his head as they all started singing and Finnick fell over laughing as Judy tugged his arm. He rolled his eyes and smirked as Judy sang with a mischievous smile. 

“If there is a load you have to bear, that you can’t carry. I’m right up the road, I’ll share your load. If you just call me….Wont you call me? For it won’t be long before I’m gonna need somebody to lean on.”

Nick sighed as he looked up into a starry sky and nodded as they all started laughing. “I’ve got some body you can lean on, Carrots- but I am not swallowing anyone’s pride and I am not singing because this is not a fucking Disney cartoon! They don’t make fucking Disney cartoons! Inappropriate for children! That statement is just like saying something about how fast rabbits multiply, knowing the kits won’t get the joke, but that’s ok because they won’t get the joke!” 

Finnick wiped his eyes as he sat up. “Nick, ya keep it up with her, and you two will be multiplyin faster than ya think.”

Judy shook her head making a sour face as Nick chuckled. “No. We won’t be doing any multiplying. Carrots made it pretty clear after having two hundred and seventy-five brothers and sisters she didn’t want that kind of life, and I think we have our paws full already. Where did Jack and Skye get to?”

Finnick looked back to the building and shrugged. “I’m sure we’ll hear from them soon enough. We’ll be meetin everyone's mates in the mornin.”

“Figures Chief Bogo would have us doing this on our days off.” Nick stuck his nose in the air and walked away from Judy and back to the door. “Carrots, come on, we still have a lot of long division to do tonight if you want me to stay.” Nick smirked as he looked at her ankles and let his eyes wander up her legs. 

“Long divis…..” Judy blinked and jumped up, fist bumping the air before she shot past them. They all watched them step inside the doors as Nick looked down at her grinning. The doe hopped up and grabbed a chunk of his throat, dropping him to his knees as his gums pulled over his teeth in a thrilled growl. She looked back at them with glowing red eyes and they fell over laughing as the doe pulled him down the hallway, screaming something about splitting halves and wholes…..

~The End~

6/17/2020

Very loosely based on the movie My Demon Lover starring Scott Valentine, and the notion of all foxes are red because they’re made by the devil. Hoorah for therapy. Pfft. Some of this I love, some I hate. I had no editor to point out mistakes or help with flaws I may have ad in the story line, but I tried to fix as much as I could. No notes on chapters or references to the Greek gods, but the little research I did was fascinating and I should try to stay away from that or I’ll get sucked into them as badly as I am the Norse Gods. Hades is often portrayed as a bad guy, when he’s actually very misunderstood. Conucopia’s, gold, ores, becoming invisible, etc. are all part of his character and the ‘demons’ he created. Yout, or the fountain of youth i thought seemed fitting considering that cornucopias replenish themselves, becoming a demon's horns of plenty. Becoming a demon causes the loss of clothing as they are burnt away in the shift. The clothing Judy is wearing at Cliffside are due to the fact that a demon can create anything it wants to be seen as. While Judy and rabbits aren’t usually shy, her demon is. When Judy becomes one with her demon, and gains wings she is dressed similar to Daisy Duke. The Dukes of Hazard is a reference to the connection they made when Nick was teaching Judy how to drive and that they had something similar shared in their childhood. Ginger being the ‘evil demon'; was a tad too obvious for me and in the real world a killer would be around to keep an eye on things and try not to be seen which is why April fit the part. She was not seen much because no one paid attention to her and she chose to stay in the background so she wouldn’t be seen. The few pieces I put in about her should have been little clues as to how she felt about Ginger. Along with the things that Finnick was telling Lolita about how they could use misdirection and make someone think or see only what they wanted them to believe and hiding. But it wasn’t meant to be spotted openly.

Thank you to those who helped inspire the story; BrutusDeagon, Sapper Joe, my family because we are all crazy and talk to each other like this constantly. There are several writers who also set something in my mind that may have been in the story, so I try to give credit where it is due. Cimar and Blue Light house, Kullkum, JoeyJoeBob Jr, and I am sure if you are a movie watcher or a reader you will pick up on movies and other writers who may have inspired something I didn’t identify at the time. As always; Happy reading to all the Gods....

~Sandsstill~


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